Loading, please wait...
_900x900.jpg "Egyptian Bronze Seated Bastet Cat Amulet")
_200x200.jpg "Egyptian Bronze Seated Bastet Cat Amulet")
.jpg "Egyptian Bronze Seated Bastet Cat Amulet")
LOT 0026
Egyptian Bronze Seated Bastet Cat Amulet
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
7/8 in. (5.76 grams, 21 mm).
Modelled seated on a tongue-shaped base, with simple facial detailing and a suspension loop to the back.
ProvenanceUK private collection before 2000.
London collection, acquired on the UK art market.
The goddess Bastet was believed to be the daughter of the sun god and was shown with the features of a lion up until about 1000 B.C., when she was first portrayed as a cat or human with a cat head. As the daughter of Ra, she was associated with the rage inherent in the sun god's eye, which was considered to be his instrument of vengeance. Her development into a cat goddess occurred during the New Kingdom, but did not fully develop until the Late Period. She was still associated with the destructive power of the sun and was shown on the prow of the solar boat, decapitating the evil serpent Apophis in the Book of the Dead. The maternal, protective and hunting characteristics of the cat are obvious in Bastet, and she was seen as a protector of pregnant women and young children. In the Pyramid Texts, she is invoked by the deceased king to act as his protector and to help him reach the sky to join the sun god; the king proclaims that Bastet is his mother and nurse. Like her counterpart, Sekhmet, Bastet has an aggressive side and, in a text from Karnak, Amenhotep II described his enemies being slaughtered like the victims of Bastet. The goddess had a shrine at Karnak, where she is known as the 'Lady of Asheru', which aligns her closely with the goddess Mut, the consort of Amun-Ra. Her most famous shrine was in the north-east Delta region, at Bubastis, and was known as Per-Bastet or 'the House of Bastet.' Herodotus describes the festival of Bastet as one of the most elaborate in all of Egypt and identifies her with the Greek Artemis. Cemeteries of cats have been excavated at Bubastis, and at Saqqara and Memphis.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
.jpg)
Egyptian Faience Lotus Flower Amulet
18th Dynasty, Amarna Period, 1353-1336 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
A blue glazed composition pendant in the form of a lotus, with some repair to the suspension loop. 0.26 grams, 14 mm
Ex early 20th century London collection. -
Egyptian Silver Fly Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
With detailing to the body and head, ribbed suspension loop above the head. 0.94 grams, 19 mm
Ex London, UK, gentleman, 1990s.
Fly amulets were believed to protect against insect bites and to ward off troublesome flying creatures through apotropaic magic. Some believe they may have even symbolised the fly’s fecundity. Additionally, pharaohs would bestow gold fly-shaped pendants as military awards to honour the bravery and persistence of soldiers in battle. -
Egyptian Faience Hierogyphic Shabti
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
With moulded facial features, tripartite wig, agricultural tools in the crossed hands and a seed-bag to the left shoulder; dorsal pillar; vertical panel to lower body with impressed hieroglyphic inscription: 'The illuminated one, the Osiris, the Controller of the Estates.... (sḥḏ wsı͗r ḫrp-ḥwwt....); lower legs absent. 56.3 grams, 95 mm
From the private collection of a Canadian gentleman living in Essex, UK, formed since the 1920s-circa 1990. Property of an Essex lady until the late 1990s; thence by descent. From the private collection of an Essex gentleman since the late 1990s.
