© Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University. Photo by Peter Harholdt.

ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Figure of a Cat

Place CreatedEgypt, Africa

CultureEgyptian

PeriodLate Period, Dynasty 26

Date664-525 BCE

MediumBronze

Credit LineCharlotte Lichirie Collection of Egyptian Art

Dimensions2 3/4 x 13/16 x 1 3/4 in. (7 x 2.1 x 4.5 cm)

Object number1999.001.043

Label TextThe cat was honored throughout Egyptian history as both a pet and a domestic guardian, keeping the household free of pests. In addition, the cat was associated with the goddess Bastet, who often appears with a human body and feline head. The primary cult center of Bastet was located at Bubastis (modern Tell Basta), where enormous numbers of mummified cats have been discovered within the temple precinct.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, October 6, 2001 - 2006
Hall of Ancient Egypt, The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, Texas, August 2014 - June 9, 2026
Published ReferencesPeter Lacovara and Betsy Teasley Trope, The Realm of Osiris (Atlanta: Michael C. Carlos Museum, 2001), 67.

Terms

figurines

ProvenanceEx coll. Niagara Falls Museum, Niagara Falls, Canada. Purchased by MCCM from William Jamieson (1954-2011) [Golden Chariot Productions], Toronto, Canada.

Status

Not on view

Collections