Unknown Artist
The Ancient Egyptians revered cats of all kinds. From servals to the mighty lion, cats were seen as powerful forces for both protection and destruction. They were generally seen as emblematic of the sun, and therefore of Ra and the Eye of Ra. According to Egyptian mythology, many deities were thought to take different feline forms, from mighty Ra himself to lesser deities such as Shesmetet or Mafdet. Cats were so highly prized that the sentence for willfully harming one was death.
We all know that cats are amazing hunters and so it is no surprise that they were prized as defenders against unwanted rats, mice, and snakes. We can also see from Egyptian depictions of cats that over time they became domesticated. There are cats under chairs and on laps, cats adorned with jewelry and collars, and there are many examples of faience and alabaster figurines and jars demonstrating the level of reverence that they commanded in Egypt.
This wall painting is from the Tomb of Ipuy, a sculptor under Rameses II. We can see a tiny kitten on Ipuy’s lap, and the cheeky mother cat is underneath the chair of his wife Duammeres!
- Sarah Mills
P.S. Here you can read about the sacred cats of ancient Egypt! <3