Description
Elegantly seated on a low base, its tail curled around its left side, this tiny cat, sacred animal of the goddess Bastet, is a sculptural tour de force. The front legs are carved entirely in openwork. The base, an amalgam of the hieroglyphs for "ointment jar" (also used in the writing the name of the goddess Bastet), and "protection" is admirably contoured to the animal's body. On the back is a loop for suspension.
Provenance
Howard Carter (1874-1939), London, England, gifted to his niece, Phyllis Walker (-1939); Phyllis Walker, sold to an English Private Collector (1939-); Sussex Armoury, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art (-1973); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1973-)
Accession Number
1973.29
Medium
hematite
Dimensions
Overall: 4.4 x 1.1 x 2.8 cm (1 3/4 x 7/16 x 1 1/8 in.)
Classification
Amulets
Credit Line
Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund