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Egyptian Artifacts

Bronze Statue of Bastet

This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 shows a bronze π“ˆ”π“€π“ˆ’π“¦ statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ of the beloved π“Œ»π“‚‹π“‡Œ Egyptian goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“! This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is dated to the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (c. 664–30 B.C.E.).

Bronze Statue of Bastet
Bronze Statue of Bastet on display at the MET

The goddesses π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“ and Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“ were both depicted as cats 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠π“ͺ, however, Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“ usually had the body of a woman 𓂑𓏏𓁐 while Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“ usually had the body of a cat 𓅓𓇋𓅱𓃠. Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“ is also usually distinguished from Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“ by the sun disc 𓇳𓏺 that usually appears on her head!

However, when Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“ was depicted with the body of a woman 𓂑𓏏𓁐 (like in this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾), she was usually holding a sistrum π“Šƒπ“ˆ™π“ˆ™π“π“£ in one hand! Since Hathor 𓉑 was usually seen with sistrums π“Šƒπ“ˆ™π“ˆ™π“π“£π“ͺ, this shows a link between the two 𓏻 goddesses π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“!

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 also shows Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“ holding a basket π“‚π“‚‹π“‚π“‚‹π“Ž… in her elbow/arm (opposite the sistrum π“Šƒπ“ˆ™π“ˆ™π“π“£) and a lion-headed aegis in the same arm. An aegis is an object that has the head of a deity π“ŠΉ (in this case a lion) with a broad collar π“…±π“‹΄π“π“ŽΊπ“‹ underneath it! The aegis itself was a protective π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ symbol associated with Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“ and was used in rituals and festivals! The basket π“‚π“‚‹π“‚π“‚‹π“Ž… is thought to possibly hold kittens, but that is just an inference by historians and Egyptologists!

Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“ was the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ of pregnancy and childbirth and was considered to be the protective π“…“π“‚π“Ž‘π“€œ form of the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ so it is very fitting for her to be holding the aegis!

Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“ and Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“ were believed to be the two 𓏻 unpredictable personalities of the same goddess π“ŠΉπ“. While Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“ represented the destructive and unpredictable side, Bastet π“Ž―π“π“π“ was the gentler and calmer side. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

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