A tiny Egyptian Blue Faience Cat Amulet, Late Period, ca. 664 - 332 BCE

This tiny but fabulous amulet of bright blue faience is a necklace element that originally would have been part of a broad collar necklace.  It shows an upright seated cat with alert ears on a small base, the back of the head pierced for attachment.

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 intended to endow the wearer with fertility.

Dimensions: Height: 10 mm (3/8 inch)

Condition: Intact and in excellent condition.

Provenance: Ex Dr Joseph Touma, Virginia, acquired from Christie's in 1993.