ROMANO- EGYPTIAN AGATE CAT SHAPED AMULET

Ca. 100 BC - AD 100 A Romano Egyptian carnelian amulet with beautiful vermillion hues with swirls of white inclusions. Seated on its haunches, tail curved around its body, effortlessly regal, perhaps representing Bastet. The front limbs have a shallow groove to indicate two legs, with incised lines on the paws to denote toes and to delineate the flat base it sits upon from the body. A perforation through the neck allows this bead to be strung as an amulet, a popular practice to protect the wearer, and this elegant cat represents good health. A gold ring is set in the hole.
Size: 22mm x 13mm; Weight: 2g
Provenance: Property of a London gallery; previously in a collection of a North London gentleman; formerly in a collection of Mrs B. Ellison, a deceased former member of the Egyptian Exploration Fund, bought from the 1940s, Cairo and London.

300
Estimate: GBP 450 - 900