Labels: text | screenshot | font OCR: BASTET WITH EARRING T THIS BRONZE STATUE of a cat is a representation of Bastet, the ancient Egyptian goddess of the sun and the moon, fertility and virginity, to whom it was dedicated. The cat wears an earring as a symbolic offering to the goddess in the hope that she would hear and answer the owner's prayers. Statues such as this were often placed at temple sites as offerings to their respective gods. The cat was worshiped in ancient Egypt for more than 1,300 years. The keeping of wildcats in the temples, where they were looked after by the priests, probably led to the domestication of the cat in Egypt in about 1500 BC. Most households not only kept a domesticated cat, but also possessed a statue of a cat in the likeness of Bastet, who often appeared in the form of a cat. SEE ALSO
