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Description An Egyptian bronze figure of a seated cat
Late Period, circa 664-332 B.C.E.
Hollow cast bronze.
H: 17, W: 4, D: 13 3/4 in. (overall); H: 14 1/2, W: 4, D: 9 in. (bronze excluding tenon)
PROVENANCE:
Important Egyptian, Classical and Near Eastern Antiquities, Sotheby's New York, June 10, 1983, lot 28.
Private Collection, New York, NY.
Condition Report Descriptions provided in both printed and on-line catalogue formats do not include condition reports. The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Freeman's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Freeman's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Freeman's. For that reason, Freeman's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. All transactions are governed by Freeman's Conditions of Sale.
Notes Within the Ancient Egyptian pantheon, each deity was associated with a sacred animal. The cat was revered as a symbol of the goddess Bastet, daughter of the sun god Ra. Bastet was worshiped as both the defender of the Pharaoh and the goddess of pregnancy and childbirth; she was variously represented as a cat or a cat-headed woman. In order to appease and ask for favor from specific gods, the Egyptians would present offerings at temples and shrines. A common offering to Bastet was a mummified cat: such an offering could be enhanced by presenting it within a bronze cast model as we see here. The act of mummification was a show of devotion to the goddess but also respect to the animal itself, in paying for its ceremonial burial. Cats were beloved by many ordinary Egyptians; some tomb paintings show cats sitting by their owners, sometimes with food nearby. Unlike most ancient Egyptian art, which was formulaic in its nature, bronze cats such as this are often executed with a high degree of naturalism. The present example is no exception, one can glean a sense of the proud, and perhaps a bit mischievous, personality the artist wished to impart onto the animal. For a similar example please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accession number 56.16.1.