Sistrum (rattle)
Unknown Artist
ca. 2300–2000 BCE
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
13 1/16 × 4 5/16 × 2 1/16 in. (33.2 × 11 × 5.2 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Implements
Culture & Period
Hattian · Early Bronze Age III
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1955
Accession Number
55.137.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite copper alloy sistrum, or rattle, hails from the Hattian culture of ancient Anatolia during the Early Bronze Age III (ca. 2300–2000 BCE). Crafted as a musical instrument, it exemplifies the sophisticated metalworking skills of the time, when artisans mastered casting and hammering copper alloys to create resonant objects for ritual and ceremonial use. Measuring about 13 inches tall, its form likely featured bird motifs—evident in its classification—symbolizing fertility, protection, or divine messengers in Near Eastern traditions. Sistra were shaken to produce a shimmering sound...