Egyptian Gold Bastet Amulet

$663.45

A beautiful Egyptian solid gold Bastet amulet in the form of a cat sitting on her hind legs. A suspension loop is attached on the back.

Date: Circa 1550-1069 BC
Period: New Kingdom Period
Condition: Fine condition.

SOLD

SKU: LD-48 Category: Tags: ,

The goddess Bastet was depicted both as a tame cat but also as a ferocious lion-headed figure. She retained a lion’s head when depicted as a a woman which frequently causes confusion with identification and is often confused with the goddess Sekhmet. Bastet, like her animal counterpart, was associated with fecundity and commonly portrayed with kittens. Thus she was adored as the goddess of fertility and protector of pregnant women and young children. Small amulets such as this were intended to bestow such properties to their wearer. One popular depiction of Bastet depicts her seated, surrounded with a litter of kittens, to pronounce her fecundity. Usually made from faience this type appears after the Third Intermediate Period. Amulets of Bastet, because of her association with fertility, were often worn in life as well as in the afterlife.

 

Weight 0.5 g
Dimensions L 0.5 x W 0.3 x H 0.9 cm
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