Feline jewel at the British Museum
October 2, 2012
Came across this ring on Pintarest, (housed in the British Museum) what gem ! Beautifully carved red cornelian depicting a crouching cat within a gold setting. An ancient egyptian piece dating back to around 1070-712 BCE. Its the period known as the third intermediate age, that lasted around 350 years, starting at the death of Ramses XI.
The cat was revered in ancient egypt, the Goddess of cats Bastet, women especially gave offerings to, it was said that if you carried around an amulet of a cat with kittens, that eventually you would have as many children as would appear in your amulet. As cats were sacred to Bastet, cats were mummified along with their owners, and people were put to death if they accidentally killed one !
This precious ring was acquired by the Bristish museum in 1947 on the death of Gayer Anderson, famous collector of egyptian artefacts,
Maj Robert Grenville Gayer-Anderson (military/naval; collector; British; Male; 1881 – 1945)
British army surgeon, administrator and collector, given the title of Pasha by King Farouk in 1942 after giving his home Beit el-Kiridliya to the people of Egypt.
On the underside of the cat there is a carved Wadjet eye or the Eye of Horus, used as a protective amulet, and initially offered to Osirus by Horus. So powerful was its use that it restored him back to life ! these Wadjet eye amulets are found in vast quantities wrapped in the folds of the egyptian mummies.
Oh my what big ears you have
September 19, 2010
Just had to share this image, a blogger friendr posted this yesterday, isnt he cute.
Pleased to see me
May 19, 2010
Oh its lovely to go away but its doubly nice to get home !! One person very pleased to see me was my dear Lilly, my friend for 14 years. She is a lilac point Persian, very fluffy, talks a lot and has fabulous china blue eyes.
Up until last June she had a wonderful companion Ferdy, I bought them together, two little balls of fluff……… sadly Ferdy passed away last year leaving Lilly quite sad, she misses him. Right now she is lying next to me purring her little head off!!
Lilly, still grieving
July 5, 2009
This is my little, Ferdy’s friend of 13 years. I bought them together, remember them being little balls of fluff and sharing the little cats basket. At present she is snuggled in my arms while I type with one hand, she obviously is not liking being on her own and constantly meows all the time. As soon as I pick her up she stops. I feel so sad for her.
FERDY JUNE 1996 – JUNE 2009
This was the last photo I took of my little Ferdy, I posted it here because he looked so cute. For the last few weeks he had been losing weight rapidly after having some teeth out, poor little man never really recovered and just wasted away. He was my constant companion always sitting close and slept nestled by my side. I alway stroked him first thing on waking, and as soon as I got up he bounded to his bowl for breakfast. He had many good and well loved years, 13 in total. His best friend Lily will miss him very much
He’s so cute, but he’s not the only one!
March 29, 2009
No he is not the only one, in fact I have two little hairy monsters !! This is Ferdy, he came into my life in 1996, along with Lily, his counter part. Having just given back two ferocious little ferrol kittens, pumpkin and ralph, back to the Celia Hammond Trust, these little terrors bit and hissed were off to a more suitable home on a farm, I found myself with an empty “cat place” to fill.
So there I was ringing around for two lost little souls, searching for two little kittens I came across a persian breeder who was prepared to sell me two of her kittens that didnt make the “grade” so to speak, so off I went with cat basket and son to choose these poor little second class citizens. Sitting relaxed on the sofa with a cuppa the breeder opened the door and the cute lttle bundles of fluff entered the room, Lilly immediatly ran around along the back of the sofa and stared at me, Ferdy was just like a chocolate box picture, his big eyes looked up and me and was the next, I could have gone on all day like this, but only had room for two!!
I think they are just beautiful, a little odd looking after having burmese cats in the past, but I grew to love their squashed little faces. Just recently I was having tea with a newly acquainted lady, her cat came in and it looked so deformed with its big nose!! I mentioned to her I had two cats and showed her a photo, she looked oddly, screwed up her nose and declared “oh how ugly” !
