Head of a Cat Mummy

Culture: Egyptian

Period: Ptolemaic period, 332-30 B.C.

Material: Animal mummy, linen

Dimensions: 11.6 cm long

Price: 4 800 Euro

Ref: 1562

Provenance: French collection Paul Bressand (1898-1995), acquired in the 1930s to 1960s.

Condition: Unrestored

Description: Wonderfully preserved, expressive head of a mummified cat. Following its natural form the head is finely wrapped with light brown linen and tied and sewn at the top of the head. Mouth, eye sockets and ears are modelled and highlighted in colour. Fine details, such as lids and vibrissae are painted and give the depiction a very lively appearance. Cat mummies like the present one were sacrificed to honour the goddess Bastet. After a believer bought a cat of his choice a priest sacrificed it. The priest subjected the dead cat to the same traditional mummification process used for humans. The buyer then placed the mummy in a tomb specially designed for the purpose of a cat sacrifice. Mounted.