The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 29, 2023

Cat

664–30 BC

Egypt, Late Period, Dynasty 26 or later

Bronze and gold

Overall: 9.2 x 2.3 x 5.5 cm (3 5/8 x 7/8 x 2 3/16 in.); without tang: 7.5 cm (2 15/16 in.)

Bequest of John L. Severance 1942.776

Location

107 Egyptian

Description

Cats were the sacred animal of Bastet, Egyptian goddess of fire, cats, and protector of the home. Sitting upright in a pose characteristic of these feline figurines, this bronze cat adorned with an embossed pendant and gold earring was made as a votive offering to be deposited with the deceased.

Provenance
Purchased from R.H. Blanchard, Blanchard's Egyptian Museum, Cairo, by John L. Severance
Citations
Catalogue of the John L. Severance Collection: Bequest of John L. Severance, 1936. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1942. Mentioned: p. 86, cat. no. 265 archive.org
Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999 Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 437
Exhibition history

CMA 1942, no. 265

Exhibition of the John L. Severance Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (November 12, 1942-March 14, 1943).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1942.776