Sistrum

The sistrum was a musical instrument that created sound through the rattling of its metal pieces; the Egyptian name for these instruments, sesheshet or sesheshat, is onomatopoetic and mimics the instruments’ rattling sound (1). In this example, the four crossbars were threaded through holes in the frame and prevented from falling out by twisting the ends in opposite directions (2). The instrument played an important part in the rites of the goddesses such as Hathor and Isis. It is often depicted as insignia of young female participants of these cults. With the spread of the Isis cult, examples of sistra have been found throughout the Roman world, including Pompeii (3). Many examples incorporate the head of Hathor along with other ornaments, although this sistrum is unadorned. The frame of the sistrum is roughly rectangular with an elegant triangular pediment. It represents the naos, or shrine, of the goddess. The handle tapers from an oval cross section down to a round one at the bottom and is terminated by a conical finial, perhaps a simplification of the papyrus column. Three of the four crossbars survive, one of which is broken and no longer secured within the frame. NOTES: 1. Thanks are due to E. Russo, Brown University, for this information. 2. Compare a similar sistrum in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. no. 19.5. 3. S. De Caro, The National Archaeological Museum of Naples (Naples, 1996) 132. Marian Feldman