This bronze statue had one job. It was created to carry a prayer between two realms: the earthly and the divine.
The cat statue was dedicated to a deity—possibly the goddess Bastet—so that the wealthy donor's prayer would be addressed to the goddess throughout eternity.
Animal mummies were designed to do the same thing. Cats, birds, crocodiles, even beetles were mummified in their millions as offerings to the gods. Statues like this however were much more expensive. Presumably, the man who commissioned this piece needed the god's help for something big.
This gorgeous statue is on loan from Liverpool's Garstang Museum to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, for the travelling exhibition, Gifts for the Gods: Animal Mummies Revealed.
The exhibition will be open at the Kelvingrove until Monday September 5, after which it moves to the World Museum, Liverpool.
Enjoyed this article? Want to know more about ancient Egypt?
Subscribe to the print or digital editions of Nile Magazine from the "Subscribe" page.
Enjoy your Nile time!