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Egyptian

Ritual Rattle (Sistrum), 664-525 BCE

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Egyptian

Title

Ritual Rattle (Sistrum)

Year

664-525 BCE

Medium

Glassy faience

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • clay products,
  • Egyptian faience

Dimensions

Height: 19 cm (7 1/2 inches)

Type

  • Ceramics

Credit

Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund

Object Number

1995.050

Projects & Publications

Publications

Selected Works

Gifts of the Nile, Ancient Egyptian Faience

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Gifts of the Nile

August 26, 1998 - January 3, 1999

Ancient Egyptian Galleries

A sistrum was a rattle used in the cult of goddesses such as Hathor, whose image appears on this object's handle. Sistra typically were created in bronze or wood, so the use of faience in this example may indicate that it served a votive, rather than a practical, purpose. In functional sistra, metal disks strung on rods produced a rustling sound when shaken. Priestesses or sometimes the king shook sistra during religious festivals to appease the violent aspects of Hathor's nature.

Details were added by hand after this form was carved or made in a two-part mold. Microscopic analysis reveals marks from the artist's tools and traces of white ground material, suggesting that some areas may have originally received gilding or colored decoration.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Ritual Rattle (Sistrum) with the accession number of 1995.050. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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