Lot 7
Egypt, Late Period, ca. 661 to 332 BCE. One of the finest Egyptian bronze cats we have had the pleasure of handling! The goddess Bastet in her animal form, seated in a sophisticated and elegant pose, with her tail curled forward to her front paws. Beyond this elegant feline form are those brilliant gold inlaid eyes, not to mention the finely delineated facial features, the whiskers perhaps most endearing. The bronze boasts a beautiful green, brown, and red patina. In ancient Egypt, the cat was associated with the Egyptian goddess Bastet, whose cult was centered on Bubastis on the Nile River Delta. Bastet gained recognition and importance when its rulers rose to power and formed the 22nd dynasty, a period also known as the Libyan Dynasty. Worshippers paid tribute to Bastet with ex-voto figures such as this example. The piece was originally part of a small bronze sarcophagus lid and has brown, red, and green patination. A beautiful example of an increasingly rare Egyptian type! Size: 2-3/4" x 1-7/8"
Bastet was initially a lioness goddess associated with the solar god and channeled its destructive power. However, by the early first millennium BCE, she assumed a more domestic feline form and became understood as a goddess of fertility and a guardian of the home. Ever since, statuettes comprised of various materials have characterized her as a doting mother cat. Her cult expanded decisively when her town in Bubastis (derived from per Bastet or "house of Bastet"), became the royal residence of the kings of the 22nd Dynasty, during the 10th century BCE. The city hosted an annual festival honoring Bastet in celebration of the Nile flood waters, and she was honored throughout Egypt through the first millennium BCE. Provenance: Ex: H. Berk collection, Chicago, IL All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. #110326
- Condition: Losses to peripheries of base; however, Bastet figurine is intact and near choice.
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| $300 | $999 | $50 |
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| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
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