Sistrum Handle

Egyptian
Date: Ptolemaic Period, ca. 305–30 BC
Maker: Egyptian
Medium: Egyptian faience
Dimensions: 1 ¾ x 1 ¼ x ¾
Credit: Gift of Sarah Paine Potter
Accession Number: 1934.4.7
Comments:
The appearance of an oval cartouche on the handle signifies the name of a king or queen. The sistrum, a musical rattle used in religious ceremonies, produces a rhythmic sound when shaken. The missing part at top would have been shaped as a long hollow oval, through which rods were loosely inserted to produce the distinctive sound.