Figure of a Cat

The function of this statue is not certain. Although similar images had large cavities to hold the mummies of cats, this statue is solid. Perhaps it served as a temple offering to a deity. The faience scarab on the top of the head is, appropriately, a solar symbol. The various deities who manifested themselves as felines were all closely associated with the sun god Re, and Re himself could appear as a cat.

• Medium: Wood, gilded gesso, bronze, rock crystal, glass
• Geographical Location: Saqqara, Egypt
• Dates: 305 B.C.E.-first century C.E.
• Period: Ptolemaic Period-Roman Period
• Dimensions: 25 9/16 x 6 5/16 x 11 13/16 in. (65 x 16 x 30 cm) Base: 17 11/16 in. (45 cm)
• Collection: Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
• Museum Location: Brooklyn Museum, BMA, 3MZM12, 6D
• Accession Number: 37.1945E
• Image: 37.1945E_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 0,