Upper Part of Sistrum (Rattle)
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
The human face with cow’s ears and horns on the sistrum’s handle represents the goddess Hathor, who personifies heaven and motherhood. The pairs of holes originally held rods with metal disks or squares that produced sound when shaken. Egyptian myths suggest that the sounds of the sistrum could pacify enraged gods and goddesses. As a symbol of Hathor appeased, the sistrum came to be used in rituals and ceremonies for Hathor, Bastet, and other deities.
MEDIUM
Faience
DATES
664â525 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
Dynasty 26
PERIOD
Late Period
DIMENSIONS
4 1/2 x 1 7/16 x 5/8 in. (11.4 x 3.6 x 1.6 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
05.359
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is on view in Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
CAPTION
Upper Part of Sistrum (Rattle), 664â525 B.C.E. Faience, 4 1/2 x 1 7/16 x 5/8 in. (11.4 x 3.6 x 1.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 05.359. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.05.359_temples.jpg)
IMAGE
installation, Egypt Reborn: Temples Installation (2010), CUR.05.359_temples.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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