1550-1070 BC. Late New Kingdom. Gold ring with D-shaped hoop and projecting shoulders; a rectangular plaque between the two shoulders forms a support for a carnelian gemstone featuring a mother cat and her two kittens. Cats were considered to be of enormous significance in Egyptian religion. The cat goddess Bastet (Bast) was the daughter of Ra, the sun god. She was typically shown with the features of a lion, as a cat or a human with a cat head. Bast was a protective, maternal goddess and was seen as a protector of pregnant women and young children. This beautiful item probably belonged to a devotee of the cat goddess. Excellent condition; wearable.Size: D: 19.84mm / US: 10 / UK: T1/2; 7.8g; Provenance: From the collection of a gentleman based in London; formerly in an old British collection; acquired in the 1980s.