Ure Museum | Database

cite as: https://uremuseum.org/record/59.2.7

Accession_Number

59.2.7

Shape

Mummy

Shape_description

Mummified head of a cat in a glass jar. Nearly cylindrical jar, tapering to base; wide mouth with straight sides.

Material

Glass; cork; newspaper; textile; animal

Fabric

Fabric_description

Munsell_color

Decoration

Inscriptions

Condition

All that remains of the mummified cat is the head and neck, from which most wrappings have been removed. The head is in a good state of preservation, showing whiskers & teeth. Enclosed note written in pencil on the back of a printed piece of paper is also well preserved and legible. Cork stopper, seemingly original to the 1890s acquisition of the head, is covered in newspaper which is also well preserved and legible.

Technique/Style

Glass jar shows bubbles in the lower part and other signs of Victorian glass manufacture.

Provenance

Enclosed note in pencil reads "Head of cat mummy ex cargo arrived from Egypt to Liverpool in the year ... see article in all year Round?" A later note, in black ink, encircled, perhaps written by Annie Ure, reads "Probably about 1890 imported for making artificial fertiliser H.B. 5.12.58." This note seemingly refers to Professor Henry Bassett, University of Reading Professor of Chemistry 1912-1946 and Dean of the Faculty of Science 1926-1930, who donated this and other Egyptian artefacts, some of dubious antiquity, in 1958.

Period

Date

Dating_details

Artist

Attribution

Image

2004.95.0001.jpg	Side view of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0002.jpg	View of back, showing label, of mummified head of cat in glass jar.
2004.95.0003.jpg	Vew of back, showing label, of mummified head of cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0004.jpg	View of side/back showing label and part of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0005.jpg	View of back/side, showing label, and part of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0006.jpg	Side view of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0007.jpg	Side view of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0008.jpg	Side view of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0009.jpg	View of side/front of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0010.jpg	View of side/front of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0011.jpg	Frontal view of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0012.jpg	Frontal view of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0013.jpg	View of side/front of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0014.jpg	View of side/front of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0015.jpg	View of cork lid of a mummified head of a cat, on it's side.
2004.95.0016.jpg	Bottom view of mummified head of a cat in a glass jar, on it's side.
2004.95.0017.jpg	Side view of label of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0018.jpg	Side view of label of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0019.jpg	Close up side view of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.
2004.95.0020.jpg	Side view of a mummified head of a cat in a glass jar.