Although it’s customary to look to the future at the start of the new year, thanks to an upcoming museum exhibition cat lovers can soon get a glimpse of the distant past of our feline friends.
Ancient Egyptian Roman Period – Brooklyn Museum
While we as pet parents have been known to put our purring pals up on a pedestal, the antediluvian ancestors of our present-day cats were positively worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. Whether Pharaoh or farmer, scribe or soldier, all citizens of the lost civilization revered the meowing Mau, as cats were called at the time.
Starting February 4, 2017 those who lionize domesticated “little lions” can show their adoration for cats of a bygone age when the exhibition Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt premieres at The McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture in Knoxville, Tennessee.
An array of artifacts will lift the veil between our four-pawed-pals from the present with those of the past, including a dainty bronze depiction of a cat nursing her kittens, with only a prayer to the goddess Bastet separating the sweet scenario from a work of art which could be sculpted today. Fans of felines will also get an up close look at a life-like rendition of a cat’s head, a realistically rendered kitty which may have been used as a temple offering, and graceful feline figures which decorate pieces of furniture and daily objects.
The exhibition also focuses on mythological feline deities, including a regal depiction of a lion-headed goddess and a half-cat/half-human statuette which once held a mummified cat who was waiting to be reunited with his or her ka, or soul.
Egyptian Bronze Late Period – Brooklyn Museum, 2195064
Special Events During the Cat Exhibit
Several special events are scheduled during the exhibition’s stay at The McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture, including:
- a lecture on mummification by Egyptologist Dr. Bob Brier.
- Family Fun Day: Purrs from the Past, a free program which will feature tours, crafts and various activities.
- Stroller Tour: Kitties and Toddlers, a free guided look at the exhibition for families with little ones four years old and younger. (Interested parties must register online to attend, as spaces for the event is limited.)
- A free lecture by Dr. Julie Albright of the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine which unravels the mysteries of our own cat’s sometimes quirky comportment.
A nationally touring exhibition organized by the Brooklyn Museum, Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt will be on display at The McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture, located on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee, from February 4 – May 7, 2017.
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