Ever seen an ancient meme? This limestone sketch (Musée du Louvre Museum. E 32954) from Deir el-Medina might just be one! Drawn over 3,000 years ago (c. 1295–1069 B.C.) by an artisan of the royal tomb-builders’ village depicts a cat standing upright, holding or offering a vase and a lotus flower to another seated cat,...
The wooden figure depicts a naked woman holding what is identified as a cat to her chest, though the animal’s form is somewhat indistinct. Though undated in the museum’s entry, the figure was acquired by the early 19th-century Scottish traveller and collector Robert Hay of Linplum, who amassed a substantial number of antiquities during his...
Few creatures captivate the imagination quite like the cat. From the earliest days along the Nile’s fertile banks, the Ancient Egyptians observed the elegance, agility, and protective instincts of wild cats that prowled the granaries and fields. Over time, these graceful hunters became more than companions, they evolved into powerful symbols of fertility, domestic harmony,...
Standing 24.3 cm tall, the figure depicts the goddess with arms dangling, wearing a long robe and holding an ankh, the symbol of life. The eyes, once inlaid, hint at the statuette’s original vivid detail. The statuette is crafted from stone, though the specific type is not identified in available records. Hieroglyphic inscriptions name king...
