The cat was sacred to the Egyptian goddess of love, fertility and joy, Bast or Bastet. These cats were characteristically upright yet at rest, confident of their power and beauty. The worship of Bast dates from at least 4000BC, reaching its height around 1500BC when thousands of pilgrims poured into the temple at Bubastis to take part in the annual festival.

The Egyptian Cat pencil topper is made from lead-free pewter and is supplied on a 18cm black pencil with the Hieroglyphic alphabet printed in gold upon it.