Description
This Ancient Egyptian amulet of a sitting cat made from steatite, was created during the XXIII dynasty, between the period of 818-712BC. Β The feline is depicted seated, her weight braced upon her bent hind legs, tucked into her body. Her forelegs are elegantly straight, leading to a curved chest.Β A narrow and elongated face follow, moulded with feline features and topped with two large, pointed ears.Β There is a large suspension hoop to the rear and an integral base on which the cat sits.Β The amulet has been made of steatite, faded to green. Β It is in an 18-karat yellow gold setting designed and created by Walker Christopher Ltd.
The goddess Bastet was considered to be the daughter of Ra, the sun god, and was originally shown with the features of a lion up until 1000 BC when she started being portrayed as a cat or human with a cat head. The maternal, protective and hunting characteristics of the cat were the most obvious in Bastet and she is seen as a protector of pregnant women and young children.
This steatite amulet has been authenticated by Royal Athena Galleries and is guaranteed genuine by Walker Christopher Ltd.
