Bastet Pendant Necklace

Art jewelry inspired by The Met.

Depictions of the powerful goddess Bastet typically represent her with the head of either a cat or a lion. The cat-headed statuette (664–30 BCE) that our charm is modeled after emphasizes her peaceful traits, such as fertility, though she holds a protective lion-headed aegis against her chest. In her other hand is a musical instrument called a sistrum, and she carries a banded basket in the crook of her elbow. The patterning on her dress may recall the striped fur of a cat.

We're pleased to present this item in celebration of The Met exhibition Divine Egypt, on view from October 12, 2025, through January 19, 2026. In ancient Egypt, images of gods weren't just images—they brought the gods to life. Egyptians believed that it was through their depictions in tombs, temples, and shrines that the deities could enter sacred spaces and become active participants in rituals, offering a vital connection between the human and divine worlds. Over Egypt's long history, its belief system grew to include more than 1,500 gods with many overlapping forms and traits. Subtle visual cues like what a figure wore, how they posed, or the symbols they carried helped identify them and their roles. Divine Egypt brings together almost 250 works of art and objects to examine the imagery associated with the most important deities in ancient Egypt's massive body of gods.