Skip Navigation

Cat (Bastet)

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Most cat statues of this type served as containers for cat mummies. Because this statue is solid, it must have functioned differently, perhaps as a temple offering. A scarab, symbolizing the morning sun, was frequently placed between the ears of such cats, perhaps an artistic interpretation of the stripes on a cat’s fur.
MEDIUM Wood (most likely sycamore fig - Ficus sycomorus L.), gold leaf, gesso, bronze, copper, pigment, rock crystal, glass
  • Reportedly From: Saqqara, Egypt
  • DATES 305 B.C.E.–1st century C.E.
    PERIOD Ptolemaic Period to Roman Period
    DIMENSIONS 26 3/8 x 7 1/4 x 19 in. (67 x 18.4 x 48.3 cm)  (show scale)
    ACCESSION NUMBER 37.1945E
    CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION One wooden votive figure of a cat, mounted on a wooden base. The cat sits erect, paws close together in front. An attempt at realistic modelling of the forelegs and forepaws is seen. No hind legs are shown but a posterior swelling gives an illusion of them. No tail is present. The head is well modelled, the cheekbones prominent. The eyes are inlaid. The rims are of bronze; the eyeballs of glass, painted from behind to simulate pupil. Atop the head a lapis lazuli scarab has been affixed. The haunches of the cat terminate in a roughly rectangular, but crudely fashioned dowel which fits into the base: the same is true for the paws. The base is also roughly rectangular, but it curves inward midway, thus accentuating the gentle curve of the haunches when seen from the front. The back of the base is rounded, thus performing the same function. The flatness of the chest and the above factors makes it evident that the votive was meant to be seen from the front. Condition: The body of the cat and the head have been joined together in a modern restoration. A thick, dark band marks the spot of attachment. Areas of linen and adhesive strengthening of the join are visible over the chest and right shoulder. The figure and base are completely denuded of gesso and color. Two superficial cracks are visible on the chest. On the left side (flank), one longer crack is visible at the level of the foreleg. Several areas of cracking are also seen on the haunch. On the right side of haunch an area of extensive damage is noted with much cracking on the lower portion. Several diagonal cracks (superficial) run across the back. The base bears a large crack directly in front of the figure. The left hand edge is cracked and fragmented. The base has generally suffered greater deterioration than the figure. The head of the cat has suffered some damage, especially about the ears. The left ear exhibits one small chip, from its tip, while the right has suffered loss along the outer edge of the pinna.
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Cat (Bastet), 305 B.C.E.–1st century C.E. Wood (most likely sycamore fig - Ficus sycomorus L.), gold leaf, gesso, bronze, copper, pigment, rock crystal, glass, 26 3/8 x 7 1/4 x 19 in. (67 x 18.4 x 48.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1945E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 37.1945E_37.1946Ea-b_GrpA_SL4.jpg)
    IMAGE 37.1945E_37.1946Ea-b_GrpA_SL4.jpg.
    "CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
    You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
    RECORD COMPLETENESS
    Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.