Sacred Animals of Ancient Egypt Gallery
By Robert Partridge
Last updated 2011-02-17
Head of a cheetah
The great cats of Africa were highly regarded by the Ancient Egyptians, and the king was often referred to as being as brave and fearless as a lion. Great cats were hunted, and their skins were greatly prized, but they were not always killed and the smaller cats, such as the cheetah, were often tamed and kept as pets.
This gilded figure of a cheetah, with the distinctive 'tear' mark, is from one of Tutankhamun's funerary beds.
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