Meet Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess of fire, of the home, pregnant women and children, and protector of the land. Bastet's father was Ra, the God of the Sun and All Creation. In 3000 BC, when lions and lionesses were still common in Egypt, Bastet was represented as a lioness. By about 2000 BC lions had disappeared from most of Egypt, but smaller cats became domesticated and were cherished in people's homes because they killed rats, snakes and other vermin that endangered the family and decimated the crops stored nearby. To show their appreciation, people gave their cats gold jewelry to wear and allowed them to eat from the same plates as their owners.

Bastet changed with the times and became a sleek cat, or sometimes a cat-headed woman wearing a long narrow dress. Her shrine was at a town called Per-Bast, or Bubastis, in the eastern Nile Delta. During her festivals more than 700,000 people came from all over Egypt, playing instruments, beating drums, singing and dancing in the streets. At her temples, people left sacrifices of spices, wine, milk, bread, meat, and water (it was a desert, after all). She was also given gold, diamonds, silver, perfumes and other riches. Bubastis became the seat of the Pharaohs, and Bastet began to be honored as one of the Mothers of Egyptian Kings.

When a household cat died, the family shaved their eyebrows, went into deep mourning, and took the body to Bubastis to be embalmed. In modern times, when Bast's temple at Per-Bast was excavated, archaeologists discovered more than a quarter million mummified cats!

History lovers, cat lovers and art collectors in general will appreciate Starlight Sculpture Works' recreation of this elegant Egyptian cat, who is shown wearing an amulet of the eye of Horus and an intricate necklace featuring a golden winged scarab holding the sun. The amulet and jewelry were thought to confer protection and status to Bastet's patrons, so let this cat bring prosperity into your home as well. Pair her with our Ancient Greek Lion as a beautiful way to display your books, plants, or objets d'art!