Egyptian Cat Watch

<p>A watch with an ancient Egyptian cat and hieroglyphs design. <br /> <br /> Decorated with hieroglyphic symbols, the watch features a triple-layer sandwich strap, a steel case and a glass overlay over the watchface with a small Rosetta Stone motif within. <br /> <br /> The design is inspired by the Gayer-Anderson cat: a cat sculpture in the British Museum that originates from ancient Egypt. The sculpture is probably a representation of the cat-goddess Bastet. The ancient Egyptians viewed Bastet as the daughter of the sun god and as a protector of mothers. <br /> <br /> The hieroglyphs in the design have been taken from another artefact in the Egyptian collections, namely the limestone false door of the high priest Ptahshepses. Its facade is covered with texts giving good wishes for the afterlife. <br /> <br /> Ideal as a gift, the watch is supplied in a presentation box. <br /> <br /><br /></p>

Exclusive to the British Museum, a watch featuring a design inspired by the worship of cats in ancient Egypt.

Decorated with hieroglyphic symbols, the watch features a triple-layer sandwich strap, a steel case and a glass overlay over the watch-face.

Sacred to the ancient Egyptians, cats were particularly important to the goddess Bast (Bastet). She was often depicted as having the body of a woman and the head of a cat. Bastet was so highly regarded by the Egyptians that she became a household goddess as the protector of women, children and domestic cats. She was also the goddess of sunrise, music, dance and pleasure as well as family, fertility and birth.

The hieroglyphs in this design have been taken from the British Museum’s limestone false door of the High Priest Ptahshepses. In the Old Kingdom, false doors were a standard feature of tombs in the Memphite region, acting as an interface between the worlds of the living and the afterlife. The façade is covered with texts giving good wishes for the afterlife.

Ideal as a gift, the watch is supplied in a presentation box.