Cat statue with a cobra snake on chest and between the legs

StefanZ

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There is one such at the swedish E-bay.  The cat statue is quite nice and I can imagine to buy it, but what is that with cobra all about?   I dont want to bring into my house anything disgusting...

I saw on the international E-bay there is one example of something similiar.

What legend, or mythological figure it does represent?   What is the meaning of this?

Its possibly the old Egyptian Bastet, but what is the exact story?   Werent cats supposed to hunt poisonous snakes?

I saw also somewhere mentioned, the Egyptiona protecting Goddes of  Cobra-snake (she on the egyptian crown), in some legends is connected with Bastet too.

Anyways, you who knows, please explain!

 

betsygee

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What a beautiful statue!  Perhaps she's Wadjet-Bast:

Wadjet, goddess of Egypt
 Her primary form was depicted as a snake goddess with a large Uraeus, a rearing cobra serpent, on her crown. The Uraeus is always shown on crown of the pharaohs. She also became identified with Bast (Bastet) the war-like Cat goddess and as Wadjet-Bast she was often depicted with the head of a lioness combining the attributes of a lion and a cobra and revered for her powers of protection and her skills as a fierce combatant. 

Here's an image of Wadjet with a cobra--actually an uraeus--the stylized, upright form of an Egyptian cobra, used as a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, deity and devine authority in ancient Egypt (per Wikipedia).  

The cat in your statue has almost a mouse-like face, doesn't she, with that pointed nose? Or maybe it's just the angle of the photo.  What an interesting statue.  Let us know if you get it.

 

Chk313

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I have one identical and would love to know more
 

Chk313

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15450589445721596403634.jpg

I have one also and would love to know more about it
 

Kflowers

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Egyptians from the Old Kingdom on kept cats to kill snakes, in particular cobras, not mice. Cobras and other snakes are drawn to places that have mice and rats. That the cats killed mice and rats was a nice side effect. The wealthy had hunting cats with expensive collars, who were released in rooms where a snake had been seen to take care of it. This is a pretty important job as cobras don't make nice pets.
 

kashmir64

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Here's my guess. In Egyptian mythology
Bastet (cat) is the goddess of pregnancy and childbirth.
Wadjet (cobra) is the patron protector of women in childbirth.

I think it's a fertility statue.
 
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