£21,250
Auction: 8 June 2022 at 14:00 BST
cast bronze and gold, shown seated in the classic dignified pose, the tail curled around to meet the front paw, the ears raised and alert, the right pierced with a gold ring, raised on a bespoke mount
Provenance:
Gilles Grimm collection, Paris.
Subsequently French art market October 2017 with French passport.
Note:
Ancient Egyptians revered the cat as magical creatures, capable of bringing good luck to the people who housed them. Their popularity was also practical due to their ability to keep the house safe from vermin and snakes – cobras in particular. Bronze cats such as the present example were often cast reverence to the goddess Bastet, whose main cult centre was at Bubastis in the eastern Delta.