Provenance: Gustave Jequier (1868-1946)

Authentication: Gayle Gibson, Egyptologist.

In Egypt several protective deities were depicted as dwarves and often wearing a plumed headdress. Such gods are now referred to as the Bes image. Bes's domain was the household. He averted evil with music, knives, or the sa sign as he watched over the occupants of the house. He was also protective of women and children, and over time this responsibility gave him a role in some temples when there was a birth house for the deity. Thus, amulets of the Bes image were worn on a regular basis. The name Bes, appears to be connected to a Nubian word for "cat" (besa) which means "protector". His first appearance actually has the suggestion of a cat god. Egyptians kept cats in order to ward off snakes, mice or other rodents.