#A-SB252 An elegant statue of Bast, goddess of ancient Egypt, protector and avenger, patron of cats, in her feline form. Formed from cold-cast resin with fine details and decorations picked out in enamel, it measures approx. 2.5" x 3.5" x 5.5".
Customer's Comment: "Simply beautiful"
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The Egyptian cat-headed goddess, Bast (also known as Bastet, Ubasti and Baset) was a solar deity until the arrival of Greek influence on Egyptian society, when she became a lunar goddess due to the Greeks associating her with their Artemis. Dating from the 2nd Dynasty (roughly 2890-2686 B.C.), Bast was originally viewed as the protector goddess of Lower Egypt, and depicted either a wild desert cat or as a lioness, and only became associated with the domesticated feline around 1000 B.C. In the Middle Kingdom, the cat appeared as Bast's sacred animal and after the New Kingdom she was depicted with a woman with a cat's head carrying a sacred rattle and a box or basket. She was commonly paired with Sekhmet, the lion-headed goddess of Memphis, Wadjet, and Hathor. Bast was one of the "Daughters of Ra." Additionally, Bast was one of the "Eyes of Ra", the title of an "avenger" god who is sent out specifically to lay waste to the enemies of Egypt and her gods.
The cult of Bast was centered in Bubastis from at least the 4th Dynasty. In the Late Period Bubastis was the capital of Egypt for a dynasty, and a few kings took her name into their royal titles.
The goddess Bast was sometimes depicted holding a ceremonial sistrum in one hand and an aegis in the other, the aegis usually resembling a collar or gorget embellished with a lioness head.
Cats were highly revered in Egypt, sometimes being given golden jewelry to wear and allowed to eat from the same plates as their owners. Consequently, Bast was revered as their patron, and it was in the temple at Per-Bast that cats were buried and mummified. When the owner died, they would put the owner next to the mummified cat. More than 300,000 mummified cats were discovered when Bast's temple at Per-Bast was excavated.
Because the Greeks equated Bast with Diana and Artemis and Horus with Apollo, Bast became adopted into the Osiris-Isis myth as their daughter (this association, however, was never made previous to the arrival of Hellenistic influence on Egypt). She is stated to be the mother of the lion-headed god Mihos. She is depicted most commonly as a woman with the head of a domesticated or wild cat or lion, or as a cat itself.
"Cold
Casting" is a technique using fine metal, stone or wood powder mixed with resin
to create objects that duplicate the look and feel of "hot" foundry
castings, without the expense and danger of working with molten materials in a
foundry. Cold-casting can done using bronze, copper, tin, porcelain, limestone,
wood, marble and more. The mold can be back-filled to increase weight to that
of a solid stone or metal piece. After burnishing, the object will have the
authentic look and feel of true hot metal, stone or wood but be much more
affordable. Because the surface is true metal, it will naturally oxidize unless
sealed, or it can be artificially oxidized using a variety of patinas to produce
a range of artistic effects.
Most of the major
lines of figurines on the market today (Hamilton, Enesco, etc.) are made of
cold-cast resin.