Seated cat

In the Late Period, the cult of animals developed rapidly in Egypt. Numerous cats were mummified as an incarnation of the cat goddess and buried in sacred cat cemeteries. Bronzes of cats became popular votive offerings. A most attractive example is preserved in this seated cat with inlaid eyes. As is often the case, its tail curves around the right leg towards the front. The patterning of the pelt is marked by a series of incisions. An aegis, the pectoral of the goddess Bastet, has been engraved on the chest. Egyptian bronze cats often have the addition of a scarab on the top of the head, which I consider to be a playful rendition of the spot visible in the cat's pelt between the ears. Similarly, in images the natural tuft of hair that lions have on their shoulder is rendered by a rosette.