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THBEgyptian Ptolemaic Linen Wrapped Mummified Cat w/ X-Ray
Lot 11a
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$4,000 - $6,000
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Dec 17, 2020
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2020-12-17 10:00:00
2020-12-17 10:00:00
America/New_York
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Bidsquare : VARIETY SALE | Antiquities & Ethnographic Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/variety-sale-antiquities-ethnographic-art-6207
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Fine Art, more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Fine Art, more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (384)
- Lot Description
Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, ca. 332 to 30 BCE. A lovely mummified cat of a sizable form bound in delicately woven cotton linens. The roughly ovoid bundle was tightly wrapped at one time, but some wrappings have loosened to expose the neckline and hind legs of the feline. The beige-hued wrappings conceal a beige, brown, and caramel-colored cat that would have had beautiful fur when still alive. Though most of the cat is still present and intact, the original head is missing. This cat was created to evoke Bastet, the cat goddess who represented fertility and motherhood. Thousands of mummified cats and kittens were given as offerings to Bastet at temples in her honor. Beyond the goddess, cats were honored and protected in Egyptian society. Size: 12.875" L x 3.5" W (32.7 cm x 8.9 cm)
The ancient Egyptians, rather uniquely among the world's civilizations, had an obsession with cats, both tame and fierce, large and small. According to Egyptologist Dorothea Arnold, "The earliest Egyptian cats were wild predators that roamed the steppes and marshes. In the refined urban culture of the New Kingdom cats became increasingly attached to humans, who probably first appreciated their mouse-hunting skills but soon came to enjoy these creatures as pleasant companions around the house. Egyptian house cats were considerably larger than modern domesticated cats, which zoologist believe originated in the ancient Near East." (Arnold, Dorothea. "An Egyptian Bestiary." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 1995, Vol. LII, p. 41)
Cats were domesticated to help protect crops from pests in Cyprus or possibly Mesopotamia (it is difficult to interpret the archaeological record on this matter for a variety of reasons), but the Egyptian love of cats seems to have gone above and beyond that of their contemporaries. Egyptians bred millions of animals, including cats, specifically to be mummified and offered to the gods with a prayer, often at yearly festivals centered around temples devoted to animal cults. A. R. Williams, writing in National Geographic in 2009 ("Animals Everlasting"), described these festivals: "Like county fairs, these great gatherings enlivened religious centers up and down the Nile. Pilgrims arrived by the hundreds of thousands and set up camp. Music and dancing filled the processional route. Merchants sold food, drink, and souvenirs. Priests became salesmen, offering simply wrapped mummies as well as more elaborate ones for people who could spend more - or thought they should. With incense swirling all around, the faithful ended their journey by delivering their chosen mummy to the temple with a prayer."
Cf. Malek, Jaromir. "The Cat in Ancient Egypt." University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 2006, p. 127, figs. 102-103.
Provenance: ex-estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, acquired before 2000
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
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#158160Original head missing as shown by exposed neckline. Fraying, staining, and losses to some linen wrappings, with nicks to some exposed feline bones, and minor staining to original fur color. Great remains of linens and most of cat.Condition
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