King with Sistra Before Hathor in the Brooklyn Museum, March 2010

King with Sistra (Rattles) before Hathor

Music could appease deities, including goddesses. Here, in a setting of the world bounded by hieroglyphs for earth and heaven, a king as dutiful son stands with sistra before one form of "his mother," the goddess Hathor. As is characteristic of Egyptian goddesses, she holds a papyrus scepter, a symbol of vigor and renewal, and grants the king the "lifetime of Re" and "the years of Atum," meaning eternal life.

Medium: Basalt

Dates: 3rd century B.C.E.

Period: Ptolemaic Period

Dimensions: 7 3/4 x 8 11/16 in. (19.7 x 22 cm)

Collections: Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor

Accession Number: 62.46

Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

Text from: www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/3721/King_w...