A RARE MARBLE FIGURE OF A SEATED CAT, PTOLEMAIC TO ROMAN PERIOD, CIRCA 332 BC - 1ST CENTURY BC

Expert’s Note: Marble was an exceedingly rare material for Egyptian sculpture, as it was imported rather than locally quarried. A small group of marble and limestone cats, several now in the British Museum and dated c. 332–200 BC, has been attributed to a single workshop. Petrie identified the group as originating from the Bubasteion at Naukratis (Naukratis Excavations, 1884–1886; Arts and Crafts of Ancient Egypt, 1909). The present figure, sharing the same rare material, scale, and modeling, was likely produced within this context of specialized Hellenistic craftsmanship in Egypt.
Marble cats of this scale are exceptionally rare within the corpus of Egyptian sculpture. While small bronze and faience figures were produced in vast numbers as votives, the decision to carve a cat in marble reflects a deliberate elevation of the subject, both in material and in execution. The Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt from the conquest of Alexander the Great in 332 BC until the Roman annexation, cultivated a synthesis of Egyptian religious tradition with Hellenistic refinement. Cats in this period were rendered with a new naturalism—rounded musculature, subtle asymmetry, and a calm vitality—that goes beyond the more schematic types of earlier centuries.
This stylistic sophistication mirrors the broader Ptolemaic program of linking the dynasty to Egypt’s divine order: the cat, as Bastet’s manifestation, not only symbolized fertility and health but also the protection of Ra and, by extension, the king himself. It is tempting to see in works such as this the conscious patronage of the Ptolemies, who used traditional cult animals and their representations to legitimize their rule and, most importantly, to demonstrate continuity with pharaonic kingship. The present figure, with its expressive presence, belongs to this distinguished artistic current, where Hellenistic craftsmanship served Egyptian religious devotion at the highest level.
While a dating within the context of Naukratis, c. 332–200 BC, appears most plausible, a production extending into the early Roman period cannot be excluded, given the continued vitality of Ptolemaic artistic traditions and workshop practices.

Egypt. Masterfully carved, the cat sits upright on its haunches atop an integral rectangular base, the body turned slightly to one side, the head held forward with a steady, attentive gaze. The facial features, though simply modeled, are strikingly expressive: almond-shaped eyes beneath erect ears, a short rounded muzzle, and a quietly composed presence that conveys both alertness and serenity.

Condition: Fine condition, commensurate with age. Some losses, small chips, scattered nicks and scratches, surface weathering, erosion, and encrustations.
Provenance: With Nicholas Wright, London, United Kingdom, 1960s. The private collection of Guy Weill Goudchaux (1914–2006), acquired from the above. The private collection of Charles Rupert Wace, London, United Kingdom, acquired from the above in 1980. We have received a note from Charles Rupert Wace, with the following statement:

“I, CHARLES RUPERT WACE hereby confirm and affirm that I bought the Romano-Egyptian seated cat (pictured and described below) from Guy Goudchaux in 1980. To the best of my knowledge, it was legally on the market and was acquired by Mr. Goudchaux in the 1960s from Nicholas Wright.”

A copy of this note accompanies the present lot.

Nicholas Wright was a British collector and dealer active in London from the 1960s to the 1990s. He specialized in antiquities, particularly from the ancient Near East and South Arabia, and was known for his close relationships with museums and major collectors. In 1977, he sold a significant collection of South Arabian gold jewelry to the British Museum, where his name remains recorded in the acquisition archives. After his death, additional objects from his collection appeared in London auctions, confirming his long-standing involvement in the antiquities trade and his role in introducing important archaeological material to public and private collections.

Guy Weill Goudchaux (1914–2006), was a noted New York collector (born Zürich), active across modern art, Asian art, antiquities and coins; with his wife Marie-Hélène he supported major museum projects (e.g., 2002 Met exhibition Cultivated Landscapes). His name appears on numerous provenance lines and publications; selected works were exhibited at the British Museum (2001).

Weight: 2,889 g (excl. stand), 4,579 g (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 19.7 cm (excl. stand), 29.5 cm (incl. stand)

With an associated wood stand. (2)

In ancient Egypt, the cat was the sacred animal of Bastet, goddess of fertility, health, and pleasure. Worshippers hoping to conceive or seeking protection from illness made offerings to her, often in the form of votive figures or mummified cats placed in her great cult centers at Bubastis and Memphis. Cat cemeteries at Bubastis and elsewhere testify to the enormous popularity of her cult, particularly from the Third Intermediate Period onward, when religion became increasingly democratized. Bastet was also venerated as a daughter of the sun god Ra and protector of the pharaoh, thus combining fertility and nurturing qualities with royal and solar authority. Initially depicted as a lioness, Bastet’s transformation into a domestic cat reflects the shift from fierce protectress to approachable mother goddess, without ever losing her divine potency.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related limestone figure of a seated cat, circa 332–220 BC, 40 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number 1905,0612.3. Compare a closely related marble figure of a cat, circa 332–200 BC, 7.5 cm wide, in the British Museum, registration number 1905,0612.18.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, Antiquities, 5 July 2023, lot 84
Price: GBP 60,480 or approx. EUR 76,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian Bronze Cat, Late Period–Ptolemaic, circa 664–30 BC, 28 cm high (excl. tenons)
Expert remark: A large and finely worked bronze feline, comparable in scale (28 cm) to the present marble example. Demonstrates the stylistic sophistication of Ptolemaic cat figures in bronze.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams London, 9 July 2007, lot 70
Price: GBP 14,400 or approx. EUR 35,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Large Egyptian Wooden Cat, Ptolemaic–Roman Period, after 300 B.C.
Expert remark: Strong wood parallel demonstrating scale and period. Note the size (28 cm).