Sistrum of Henuttawy, a chantress of Amun and Isis. 21st or 22nd dynasty (E 11201) This sistrum consists of two sections. The first is a round handle, the top of which is fashioned into the head of the goddess Hathor. Her head is framed by two cobras wearing the crown of Upper Egypt and two rows of seven cobras on the long sides, with only two on the shorter sides. The second section of the instrument consists of a bent metal hoop with three holes pierced on the each vertical section. Each pair of holes held a serpent-shaped metal rod fitted with metal discs. When it was rattled, the instrument produced a sharp, staccato-like sound, hence the onomatopoeic Egyptian word for the sistrum: sechech. The marvelous technical and artistic quality of this instrument illustrates the wealth and power of the Amun clergy in the early years of the Third Intermediate Period, the summit of theocratic power in Upper Egypt. At this time, the great god of Karnak governed earthly affairs directly via its high priest, then somewhat later, via his Divine Adoratrice. As for the pharaoh, he ruled in the Delta, where he was essentially instructed to mind his own business. Under the Amun clergy, the art of bronze with gold inlays reached an extraordinary degree of perfection. The sistrum of Henuttawy, a female chantress of Isis and Amun, and especially the statue of the Divine Adoratrice of Karomama, also in the Louvre, are spectacular examples of this art. (text from the web site of Louvre Museum) Photo taken in Louvre Museum.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 17:20:47 +0000
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