Mummy of a cat
- Audio guide stop: 368
- Gallery: Room 62
- Culture: Roman Period
- Object type: animal mummy
- Materials: cat tissue; textile
- Museum number: EA37348
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is the "Mummy of a Cat," a Roman Period artifact discovered in Abydos. This small, fabric-wrapped body is shaped to resemble a feline. Brightly colored fabric strips are arranged in a pattern that folds and intertwines. The head is made with plain fabric and features carefully placed eyes, with black paint defining the face.
Narrow fabric strips wrap around the ankles and feet in a spiral pattern, while the neck shows contrasting horizontal bands. Staining runs along one side, possibly from embalming materials, and there is noticeable discoloration on the bottom left and head area.
Inside, X-rays reveal a young cat enclosed in several layers of fabric. The tiny skeleton is barely visible beneath disorganised padding of straw and cloth. A reed or stick inside may have supported the shape. The head is shaped with layered cloth, likely treated with a dense material.
This artifact is displayed to help us understand animal mummification practices in ancient Egypt under Roman rule.
See it in person
Mummy of a cat is on display in Room 62 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 368, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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