LOT 12 Romano-Egyptian Bonze Sistrum with Cats and Hathor
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$11,000
Egypt, Romano-Egyptian period, ca. 30 BCE to 2nd century CE. A beautiful example of a bronze sistrum with rich decoration. It consists of a handle with a small knob that rises to meet a double Hathor head complete with a relief face and elaborate wig. Above her is a tall arch with several cats perched atop its curved top. Similar examples (see below) show a cat seated above the Hathor heads as well. Each side of the arch has four evenly-spaced holes in it, used for placing fixed rods. Size: 2.5" W x 14.95" H (6.4 cm x 38 cm); 15.75" H (40 cm) on included custom stand. The sistrum, meaning "that which is being shaken" in Greek, is a percussive musical instrument, known mostly from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. When shaken, the metal rods within the arch produce a sound that can range from a soft clank to a loud jangling. Some people even hear a sound complementary to that of a hissing snake when the sistrum is played. The sistrum was particularly important for the Egyptian worship of the goddesses Hathor and Bastet. Bastet is often depicted holding one of the instruments, as in this statue at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/545970. You can imagine priestesses playing these, singing, while processing into a temple built to worship these powerful goddesses. See a similar example with the rods intact at the British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=170181&partId=1 Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #133027
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2018.8.29
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Louisville, CO, US
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