The Goddess Bastet
Description
Object Label: The complex nature of Egyptian deities is often indicated by their attributes. Osiris’s tightly wrapped mummy shroud and his crook and flail (symbolizing kingship) point to the legend of Osiris’s murder, mummification, and subsequent resurrection as the ruler of the underworld. The cobra held by his wife, Isis, represents the magic that revived her husband and guarded their son, Horus. As the rightful heir to Osiris’s throne and the embodiment of kingship, the falcon-god Horus wears the Double Crown. Animals can also reveal divine qualities. The cow or cow-human forms of Hathor refer to her role as provider of milk to Horus and to young kings of Egypt. Bastet, another benevolent female deity, appears as a cat or cat-headed woman, carrying a basket and sistrum. Certain deities, including Neith, Ptah, Nefertem, and Imhotep, were portrayed in human form. The ancient protectress Neith, associated with war and hunting, wears the flat-topped Red Crown of Lower Egypt. The Memphite creator-god Ptah holds a staff with hieroglyphs for life and permanence. Ptah’s son, Nefertem, a lotus on his head (symbolizing rebirth), defends Maat with his scimitar. Imhotep, the deified architect of Djoser’s pyramid, shares Ptah’s close-fitting cap, and the papyrus on his lap emphasizes wisdom and creativity. Caption: The Goddess Bastet, 305–30 B.C.E.. Bronze, 3 5/16 x 1 1/8 x 3/4 in. (8.4 x 2.9 x 1.9 cm) mount (display dimensions): 5 x 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (12.7 x 3.8 x 3.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.376E. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
AI image analysis GPT-5.4-nano
Machine-generated from the object's image on Jul 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
A small dark bronze statuette depicts a human-like female deity standing upright with a feline head and a raised arm, holding an implement close to her body.
The object shown is a standing, full-figure bronze statuette against a plain light background. The figure has a feline (cat) head with pointed ears and a human body wearing a draped garment with incised/raised decorative bands along the torso and legs. One arm is raised (hand positioned near the face/upper chest), while the other arm holds a curved/club-like or staff-like object at the waist or hip level. The tail or tail-like element appears at the side. No clear base or plinth is visible beyond the rounded feet. There are no legible inscriptions or separate hieroglyphic panels visible in the image; the surface decoration appears primarily as sculpted garment detailing rather than text.
Cross-references (2)
- BKM-Accession 37.376E tier-2
- BKM-Object 4032 tier-2
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art.
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.