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THBRare Egyptian Faience Cat w/ Kittens - ex-Sotheby's
Lot 4
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
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,500 - $3,500
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
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| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jul 11, 2019
Set Reminder
2019-07-11 10:00:00
2019-07-11 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Ancient / Ethnographic / Americana
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-ethnographic-americana-4246
Discover ancient art from Egypt, Greece, Italy, and the Near East, as well as Asian, Pre-Columbian, Tribal, Fossils and Fine Art. Also featuring a wonderful collection from a prominent New York estate whose owners reside in the Van Wyck family's historic Lloyd Harbor waterfront home. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Discover ancient art from Egypt, Greece, Italy, and the Near East, as well as Asian, Pre-Columbian, Tribal, Fossils and Fine Art. Also featuring a wonderful collection from a prominent New York estate whose owners reside in the Van Wyck family's historic Lloyd Harbor waterfront home. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (415)
- Lot Description
Ancient Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, ca. 712 to 332 BCE. A charming, very pale blue-green faience pendant of a mother cat, sitting in an elegant and serene pose, and six kittens sitting neatly around her in pairs - two atop her head, two in front of her front feet, and two nursing. A loop for suspension is at the back of her neck and she stands on a narrow integrated platform. Her face is detailed, with classic Egyptian cat features - a thin, hairless face with a shorter snout and large ears. Her body is long and smooth, with a prominent chest above her long, thin legs. Size: 1.4" W x 2.4" H (3.6 cm x 6.1 cm)
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. Famously, Herodotus wrote that men would protect cats from fire, and that when a cat died, a household would go into mourning as if a human member of the family had died, shaving their eyebrows to signify their loss. It was immediately before this Late Dynastic Period that worship of Bastet became immensely popular, and her chief center of worship, Bubastis, became a great city, and Herodotus, visiting the city in 450 BCE, described a great festival dedicated to her. A small pendant like this one was probably sold at a temple to a worshipper.
See a similar, less detailed example from Christie's: https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/an-egyptian-faience-seated-cat-with-kittens-4396697-details.aspx
Provenance: ex-Sotheby's, New York "Antiquities and Islamic Art" auction (June 12, 2001, part of lot 327)
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.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#147314Intact, with a few tiny chips and nicks commensurate with age. Beautifully preserved details and form.Condition
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