Miniature faience amulet of a seated cat formed in the round, the back of the head pierced horizontally for suspension.
This amulet is a depiction of Bastet, an Egyptian goddess, daughter of the sun-god Re. In ancient Egypt she was initially depicted in the form of a lioness, but was eventually modified into a cat. In this form she was worshipped as a goddess of fecundity. Faience cat amulets first appear in the late Old Kingdom, and were intend to endow the wearer with fertility. (Reference: Carol Andrews, Amulets of Ancient Egypt. British Museum Press, Bath, 1994. Page 32 – 33)
Condition: The piece is intact and in very good condition, with some minor wear and pitting to the glaze throughout.
Dimensions: Height: 1 centimeter
Provenance: Forming part of the Lenman/Stohlman collection assembled by the Washington D.C. socialite Miss Isobel H. Lenman (1845 - 1931), in the early 1900’s. Loaned and accessioned by the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., between 1916 and 1921 where it was exhibited until her death in 1931. Thereafter, the collection was returned to her heirs and sold around 1937 to Dr. Martin Stohlman, remaining with the Stohlman family until 2011.
