\paperw4260 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 The Egyptians worshiped the goddess Bast, or Bastet, in the form of a cat.\par
Bast was originally considered a solar deity with the
aspect of a lioness. Later she was given a gentler image and identified with the domestic cat.\par
In this form Bast was associated with the pleasures of life and with femininity in general: the goddess is sometimes represented with the head of a cat an
d the body of a woman, at others suckling her kittens.\par
In the late period, that is from 900 BC onward, bronze statuettes of cats dedicated to the goddess became increasingly common. They come chiefly from the shrine of Bubastis, where they were depo
sited as votive offerings.\par
This statuette is an example of one of these. It has a collar around its neck from which hangs a pendant.\par
The artist has represented the animalÆs slim and lithe body with great skill, emphasizing anatomical details li
ke the way the bones protrude at the joints. Even the pointed muzzle is typical of the Egyptian wildcat.
