Egypt, Romano-Egyptian period, ca. 500 BC. A beautiful example of a bronze sistrum handle 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. Condition: Good condition with dark green encrustation. Provenance: Old Private collection France. built up Egyptology collection between 1975 and 1990. Further info: 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. Will be shipped registered and insured. I combine shipping. See also my other auctions. I only ship in EU. When you bid make sure you have a shipping adress in EU. The supplier warrants that they obtained this lot in a legal manner. The seller guarantees that they are entitled to sell/export this lot. The seller will take care that any necessary permits, like an export license, will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer about the status of the permits if this takes more than a few days.