Page 61 - Trends

Cat Crazy

The popular domesticated pets get their historic due in a new
exhibition, titled “Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt”.

By Tim Kennedy, Washington

S everal millennia ago, the common IURP SDLQWLQJV RI IHOLQHV WR PXPPLÀHG Egypt” was a superb collection that ex-
house cat (Felis silvestriscatus) was
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plores feline themes in mythology, king-
Around 1950 BCE (Before the Current
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revered in ancient Egypt and con-
ferred the name “Mau”, a godlike
Images of a mother cat nursing her kit-
KRQRULÀF 0DX ZHUH ZHOFRPH LQ KRXVH- Era), a feline was painted on the back tens, or an attentive cat wearing gold ear-
wall of a limestone tomb some 250km
holds because of their ability to kill rats, VRXWK RI &DLUR rings, help emphasize felines’ shift from
PLFH DQG HYHQ VQDNHV VXFK DV FREUDV The image is clearly a domestic cat and domesticated cats to symbols of divinity
Egypt’s Pharaonic royal families also ad- seems ready to pounce on an approaching LQ $QFLHQW (J\SW
mired cats because of their dignity, grace ÀHOG UDW 7R VFLHQWLVWV ZKR VWXG\ DQFLHQW These now-immortalized Egyptian
DQG FDOPLQJ QDWXUH Egypt, this is a clear evidence of a time cats played an important role in Ancient
DNA comparisons of living cat species when cats ceased to be regarded by Egyp- Egyptian imagery for thousands of years
ZLWK WKHLU PXPPLÀHG (J\SWLDQ DQFHVWRUV tians as mere exterminators of vermin and and the Smithsonian’s temporary exhibi-
has led experts to conclude that cats were EHJDQ WR JDLQ WKH VWDWXUH RI GLYLQH EHLQJV tion — most of the cats are on loan from
ÀUVW GRPHVWLFDWHG IURP ZLOGFDWV IRXQG the Brooklyn Museum’s world-famous
in the Mideast Fertile Crescent approxi- “Divine Felines” Egyptian collection — features more
PDWHO\ \HDUV DJR In Washington DC, a collection of feline than 80 objects that explore both wild and
The special place given to cats in artwork was on display at the Smithso- GRPHVWLF FDWV IHOLQH GHLWLHV PXPPLÀHG
Egypt thousands of years ago is evi- nian Institution’s Arthur M Sackler Gal- cats in burial practices and luxury items
dent in the art and culture from this era, OHU\ ´'LYLQH )HOLQHV &DWV RI $QFLHQW GHFRUDWHG ZLWK IHOLQH LPDJHU\

February 2018 | TRENDS 61