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The height of cat worship in Egypt was reached around 400 BCE with the mother goddess, Bastet. Bastet had the body of a woman and the head of a cat. She was associated with fertility, motherhood, grace, and beauty. Her largest temple was in the city of Bubastis and housed many, many cats, as well as numerous bronze statues of cats, such as the one before you. Depictions of cats often show them with jewelry such as earrings and necklaces, so it is likely that Egyptians adorned their pets. The cat's tail is always placed neatly against the right side of the animal. This reflects the Egyptian tradition of depicting all animals in hieroglyphics as facing right.
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