Mummy of a Cat

Culture: Egyptian

Period: Late Ptolemaic to Roman Period, 1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D.

Material: Animal mummy, linen

Dimensions: 38 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 1601

Provenance: Belgian private collection of Anne and Christophe Vaes, acquired in 1978 from Farouk El Shaer in Cairo. Recorded in an insurance document dated March 1985. In family ownership since then.

Condition: Intact and wonderfully preserved.

Description: An elaborately wrapped cat mummy in light and dark brown linen, likely from Bubastis in the Nile Delta. The cylindrical body tapers slightly upward and is topped by a large head with a rounded snout. The thin linen strips are arranged horizontally in the lower section and transition above, including around the head, into a carefully arranged chevron pattern. At the front of the snout, the cloth is finally wrapped in a cross-shaped arrangement. At the bottom, a large piece of linen forms the finishing layer. The high quality of the wrapping suggests a date in the Late Ptolemaic, perhaps Roman period. Cat mummies such as this were offered in honor of the goddess Bastet. When a devotee purchased a cat of his choice, it was killed by a priest. The dead animal was then subjected by the priest to the same traditional mummification process used for humans. The buyer would subsequently place the mummy in a burial chamber specifically used for the offering of cats. For comparison of the form, see the cat mummy in the Metropolitan Museum with the object number 15.6.50. X-rays taken on March 26, 2026, show that the mummified animal was approximately 5-6 months old. Its neck is broken, and its skull is dented. Both of these issues could have led to its death or been caused by the mummification process. Interestingly, it is also not possible to definitively determine whether the mummified animal was a cat or perhaps a dog.