Archaic I

Bronze Hathor Sistrum

Part of a bronze sistrum in the form of the head and shoulders of the goddess Hathor (upper parts missing, but it was probably an arched example); hollow but metal is heavy and of uneven thickness on each side, having been heavily leaded; socket for a handle (now missing) on the lower end of the figure; figures of cobras on each side of the head, both broken off at the top; probably cast in the lost-wax technique, the piece shows signs of having partially collapsed during casting as the head on one side is dented and the details are less sharp than on the other side; surface of the metal corroded in places. Dimensions: Height: 10 centimetres max ; Weight: 498 grammes Object Type: sistrum Techniques: lost-wax cast