Cat Amulet

Object Details

• Description

  Eyelet at the back. Clay: dense. Glaze: gray-green, partially disintegrated.

• Label

  Small amulets made of faience, stone, ceramic, metal, or glass were common personal possessions in ancient Egypt. They were most frequently fashioned in the form of gods and goddesses or of animals sacred to them. Amulets were believed to give their owners magical protection from a wide variety of ills and evil forces, including sickness, infertility, and death in childbirth. They were often provided with loops so they could be strung and worn as a necklace. Some amulets were made to place on the body of the deceased to protect the soul in the hereafter.

• Provenance

  To 1908

  Ali Arabi Jr., Cairo, Egypt, to 1908 [1]

  From 1908 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Ali Arabi Jr. in 1908 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1751, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt (January 28, 2023 to 2025)

  Charles Lang Freer and Egypt (June 13, 1998 to October 2, 2011)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Ali Arabi Jr. (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Egypt

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• On View

  Freer Gallery 20: A Collector’s Eye: Freer in Egypt

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 0s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Arabi, Ali

• Place

  Egypt

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Cats, Art, Animals, Saite Dynasty 26 (664 - 525 BCE), Late Period (664 - 332 BCE), Ancient Egyptian Art, Ceramics, Protection

• Culture

  Egyptians

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry

• On View

  Yes