John Weguelin

The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat

The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat by John Weguelin

Artwork Detail

In 1889 eight illustrations by J R Weguelin, although not this image, were published in The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt, by the popular and prolific historical novelist G A Henty. The plot turns on the accidental killing of a sacred cat:

So esteemed were even the most common animals of the cat tribe that, if a cat happened to die in a house, the inhabitants went into mourning and shaved their eyebrows in token of their grief; the embalmers were sent for, the dead cat made into a mummy, and conveyed with much solemnity to the great catacombs set aside for the burial of the sacred animals.

Title
The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat
Artist/creator
John Weguelin
Production date
1886
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
994 x 1425 x 85 mm
Credit line
Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Accession no
MU/147
Copyright
No known copyright restrictions
Department
International Art
Display status
Not on display

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