Mummy of a Cat
Mummy of a Cat
Artist
Unidentified
Period
Roman Rule
(Ancient Egyptian, 30 BCE–395 CE)
Period
Roman Empire
(Ancient Roman, 27 BCE-395 CE)
Dynasty
The Julio-Claudians
(Ancient Egyptian, 27 BCE–68 CE)
Place of Originpossibly from the Temple of Bastet, Sakkara, Egypt
Dateabout 50 CE
Dimensions14 1/4 × 2 3/8 × 2 3/4 in. (36.2 × 6 × 7 cm)
MediumCat remains, linen, pigment
ClassificationMummies and Mummy Cases
Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. Eugene Scheble
Object number
1903.1
On View
Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic
Peck, William H., Sandra E. Knudsen and Paula Reich, Egypt in Toledo: The Ancient Egyptian Collection at the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art, 2011, p. 85, repr. (col.).
Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, The Unseen Art of TMA: What's in the Vaults and Why?, September 12, 2004 -January 2, 2005.Toledo Museum of Art, The Mummies: From Egypt to Toledo, February 3- May 6, 2018.
Label TextAnimals sacred to gods were piously mummified, just as humans were. The Egyptians mummified millions of cats, birds, fish, crocodiles, and other animals, burying them in catacombs and cemeteries near the temples of the gods being honored. Because of the huge numbers, many Egyptologists believed the standard treatment was of low quality, but recent study suggests the mummification techniques used for animals were as elaborate as those used for the best-preserved human bodies. This mummified cat was the first object (as opposed to painting) donated to the Toledo Museum of Art.Roman Period (1st to 4th century CE)
Dynasty 26 (664-525 BCE) or slightly later
1st century BCE
Late 19th century
250-150 BCE
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