ClassificationsAncient Egyptian Art

Sistrum with Image of Hathor on Handle

AAT Object Form/Functionsistra

AAT Object Form/Functionfigures (representations)

CultureEgyptian

PeriodLate Period

Date722-332 BCE

MediumBronze with modern restorations

Credit LineGift of Katrina Griessman and Jeffrey Dinkle

Dimensions14 x 3 3/4 x 1/2 in. (35.6 x 9.5 x 1.3 cm)

Object number2006.016.001

Label TextA sistrum is rattle that would have been used during ritual events in ancient Egypt. Made from a variety of materials, a sistrum would be shaken to create a jingling noise. Many sistrums incorporate decorative elements in their handles, with the face of Hathor being one of the most popular. This bronze sistrum is embellished with the head of the composite bovine and human form of the goddess Hathor. This sistrum may have been used in processions or other rituals honoring the goddess or alternatively, the image may have been meant to refer to the goddess who was considered to be the special patron of music. The sistrum reminds us of the now lost performative elements of Egyptian ritual. With this object we may begin to think about the sounds, smells, and movements associated with Egyptian festivals and daily ritual, a thought that can enliven our understanding of the ancient past.
Exhibition HistoryMCCM Permanent Collection Reinstallation, 2006 - Present
Published ReferencesPierre Berge & Associes, Paris, Archeologie, miniatures orientales, art de la Chine (October 15-16, 2005), 99, lot 387.

ProvenanceEx private collection, France. Purchased by MCCM from Pierre Berge & Associes, Paris, October 15, 2005, lot 387, through Jerome Eisenberg (1930-2022) [Royal-Athena Galleries], New York, New York.

Status

On view

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