Cleveland Museum of Art

Amulet of Bastet

Date

c. 1069–715 BCE

Medium

hematite

Culture

Egypt, Third Intermediate (1069–715 BCE)

Department

Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Elegantly seated on a low base, its tail curled around its left side, this tiny cat, sacred animal of the goddess Bastet, is a sculptural tour de force. The front legs are carved entirely in openwork. The base, an amalgam of the hieroglyphs for "ointment jar" (also used in the writing the name of the goddess Bastet), and "protection" is admirably contoured to the animal's body. On the back is a loop for suspension. This object was in the collection of Howard Carter—the man who discovered the intact tomb of Tutankhamun—until his death.

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