Hollow Bronze seated cat covered with a thick green patina. In ancient Egypt, because the cat was hostile to snakes, it became a sacred animal of the Sun God. In the New Kingdom, the male cat was regarded as an incarnation of the Sun God and the female cat was equated with the solar eye. The domestic cat attained special significance as the sacred animal of the Goddess Bast (Bastet), who was depicted as having the head of a cat and who was a Goddess of the home although she sometimes took on the warlike aspect of a lioness. As a sun Goddess, Bast (Bastet) represents the warm, life giving power of the sun. Her cult appears as early as the Second Dynasty. Like a cat, she was admired for her agility and strength. Bast defended Ra against the serpent Apep. 26th Dynasty
663 - 525 BC
3 3/4" x 2"
Egyptian antiquities are gauranteed to be authentic and from the period stated. All of our artifacts come with a Certificate of Authenticity.
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