Tag: sculpture

‘Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt’ Exhibit Opens at the Brooklyn Museum

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ancient egypt catsThe Brooklyn Museum recently launched a new show called “Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt”. The exhibit demonstrates the importance of cats in ancient Egyptian imagery.

The collection features 30 feline representations, including a large limestone lion, a bronze Pharaoh as a Sphinx, and a cast-bronze figurine of a cat nursing her kittens.

The museum explains:

“Likely first domesticated in ancient Egypt, cats were revered for their fertility and valued for their ability to protect homes and granaries from vermin. But felines were also associated with royalty and closely linked with a number of deities.”

 

The Beauty and Value of Ancient Art

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Ancient art is of twofold significance, as implied by the name. When an object is ancient its importance comes from the mere fact that it is an example of something that no longer exists, or something that teaches us about ITS culture or civilization. This is true even of objects that were not created as works of art but as artifacts, such as ancient tools or eating utensils.

But when an object is not only ancient, but is also considered an art object, either when it was created, such as a sculpture or paintings, or in the present day, such as coins or pottery, the object takes on a significance much more meaningful than the mere fact that the object is old.