Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0042
Egyptian Gold Goddess Bastet Cat Amulet
LATE NEW KINGDOM-THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, CIRCA 1069-900 B.C.
1/4 in. (0.48 grams, 8 mm).
Modelled seated on a tongue-shaped base, with simple facial detailing and suspension loop to the back.
Provenance
From an early 20th century French collection.
Literature
Cf. Andrews, C., Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, item 29(c).
Footnotes
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.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Egyptian Orange Jasper Scarab
New Kingdom, 1550-1069 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Carved with design to the underside of a central ankh symbol flanked by stylised rearing cobras. 1.52 grams, 13 mm
From an early 20th century collection. -
David Roberts Print of Karnak
19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
Hand-tinted lithographs of a view over the temple complex at Karnak, and of a view of the Great Hypostyle Hall; each mounted in a glazed wooden frame. 2.9 kg total, 34.5 x 50 cm each
From the private collection of the late Mrs Belinda Ellison, a long time member of the Egyptian Exploration Society, c.1940-2020. -
Egyptian Hardstone Architectural Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £125
Carved haematite representation of a carpenter's or stonemason's set-square. 3.15 grams, 24 mm
with Hotel des Ventes, Drouot, Paris, France. From the collection of Mr H. Naudy, Paris, France. Acquired at between 2004-2010. Property of a French collector.
The L-shaped carpenter's or stonemason's square was used to measure right angles. Amulets of this tool symbolised integrity, moral uprightness, emotional equilibrium, and balance.