Special instruments were used by priests and priestesses to invoke the deities or to perform rituals before them. One of the most important instruments was the sistrum, a rattle associated with the goddess Hathor. The goddess's face is often incorporated into the sistrum's design, as is, in this example, an image of the god Bes, which serves as the object's handle. Inside of the naos-shaped top is a small cat below the clappers.
For the latest information about this object, sistra, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Inscriptions: Reign: Style:
Ghaida. Skin of whole animal with black hair left on outside (now worn off). Chanter tied in at animal's neck, blowpipe in back, and animals 2 forelegs tied off. Back end bunched and tied. Short wooden blowpipe with raised rings. Double chanter of light wood in wooden trough, held in by wax and string. Eng of double chanter bound with blue cloth with blue and white bead design on a leather strip. 6 finger holes in each pipe in parallel arrangement. Design of white, yellow, red and blue beads at top of chanter. Poor condition. Bag died and broken. Chanter loose in trough.Length of bag: approx. 53 cm. Length of chanter and trough: 34 cm. Length of blowpipe: 10cm.
Lot of fragments of an ivory clapper in the shape of a hand and forearm. Eleven large pieces, and numerous small flakes. The larger pieces are coated with what appears to be paraffin wax. Object is in very poor condition.
Toiblets. 2 drums closely joined by leather thongs. Nylon is stuffed between the drums. Leather strips are ;laced from head to base in criss-cross pattern around drum. Bodies are brown wood with beads wider than bases. Both drums are the same shape, but one is wider. The straps on larger drum cross more closely than on smaller drum. Condition: Fair - head of smaller drum is torn. Dimensions: smaller drum: length-19cm; dia. base-6.8cm; dia. head-15.5cmlarger drum: length-19cm; dia. base-9.3cm; dia. head-20.3cm.
Dombeg. Hand drum made pf dark grey-brown wood with light grey skin head. Goblet shaped body has carved lateral grooves. Condition: Poor - head is half ripped from body. Strap is missing. Dimensions: Height- 40cm; Dia.- 26cm.
Cylinder Drum with two heads. Wooden frame with membrane at each end held in place by metal rings over withich the memberanes pass. "Y"shaped ligature. Red painted frame.
Qanun. In the form of a right-angled trapezoid with twenty-four sets of triple strings. Three foliated sound openings in the deck. Mechanical tuning devices of metal on the upper end of each string. Tuning key included.Inlaid
Kanoon. Right angle trapezoid. Wooden with carved designs showing hollow inside. Rectangular end in 4 compartments covered with thin membrane. Moveable wooden bridge extends width between membrane and sound board. Permanent wooden bridge along slanted side. 23 rows of 2 wooden pegs holding gut strings which attach at rectangular end through holes. Mounted carved wood designs on sides - reddish in color. Bottom of instrument also red in color. Poor condition. Membrane warped and detached. Sound board badly cracked. Moveable bridge missing 1 leg. 7 pegs missing.Lenth longest side: 88.5 cm. Length slanted side: 77 cm. Length rectangular end (width): 39.5 cm. Height: 5 cm.
Trapezoidal, wooden. Inlaid mounting of intricate circular and star-shaped patterns in gold, red, white, and black, edges with alternating strips of inlaid ivory and dark wood. 2 inlaid mother of pearl 6-petaled flowers carved out between petals, in some board. Round hole, edged with ivory inlay in lond side of trapezoid. 18 rows of 4 metal strings attach at one end to metal prongs and at the oither to metal pegs. Strings stretch over low metal rimmed permanent bridges at each side of instr. Round moveable bridges for individual strings, 5 with instr. 2 long thin wooden picks curved at ends. Poor condition. Mounted inlay partially missing, most of ivory inlay missing. 23 strings attached. 1 pick broken. 1 peg missing.Length, long side: 76 cm. Length of shorter side: 29cm. Width: 26cm. Length, slanted ends: 35.5 cm. Height of moveable bridges: 1.8 cm.
Kanoon or Qanon. Right angle trapezoid of light colored wood. Rectangular side in 2 compartments covered with a s kin painted with an animal over each compartment (horse, elephant, lion, bull). A moveable bridge painted black separates skin from sound board. Sound board painted with 2 6-pointed stars with flower center, partially caved out. Pinted crescent and flowers also carved out to show hollow interior. Large dancing woman painted in centre. Color mostly green and red. Permanent wooden bridge separates pegs from sound board. 25 rowes of 3 pegs hold gut strings which attach through holes at rectangular end. Inlaid metal and ivory in sides of instr. and on top of permanent bridge. Small silvery concentric circles in sides of pegs. Poor condition. Large crack in sound board and bottom. Membrane cracked and partially detached. Metal inlay coming out. Most strings broken or missing. Animal pictures badly flaked. Length of long side: 95 cm. Length slanted side: 77cm. Width: 44cm. Height: 5cm.
Santir? Trapedzoidal Shape. 24 sets of quadruple and one set of triple strings, each set consisting of one wrapped and 3 simple wire strings. The wrapped strings pass over bridges and are struck while the rest of the set vibrate in sympathy with them.
Kemange? Small spiked fiddle with iron peg, three lateral pegs, membrane sounding-board. Body and Neck inlaid heavily with Mother-of-Pearl and ivory. The shape of the body resembles a coconut from which the form was evolved.
Wooden fiddle with hollowed out body, circular at top with a long pointed lower end. Lower end covered with skin, round upper part left open. Square peg box, open at back, 2 lateral hour glass-shaped pegs. 2 groups of black horse hair strings attached to one end through holes in peg box and tied around short metal spike at other end. Good condition. Skin loose at edges. No bow.Length: 83.5 cm. Width of body (circular part): 14.5 cm. Body depth: 12 cm.
Lyra- Aegean name, Rahab- Arab. 3 large pegs (dorsal) for gut strings. Almond shaped body with flat belly with 2 D-shaped holes. Body is flat at back; no distinct neck although top and finger board part are covered with darker wood than on belly. Strings tied around wood section at lower end of instr. Back corresponding to finger board is of dark wood with strips of white; back of body seems made of 3 pieces of wood- 2 equal size outer parts with center piece set off by band (black-white-black). Good condition. Small piece of dark wood missing at back of neck. Cf. Sachs. fig. 78 (p.278); Mus. Instr., etc. pp. 217-218.Length: 40 cm. Width at sound holes: 13.5 cm. Width where finger board meets peg box: 4.3 cm.
Rehab. Skin resonating head gradually narrows; neck extends directly out of body the same width as the resonator, and gradually narrows. Finger board extensively cut into creating large designs with holes. Two holes on either side of neck. Body of dark wood. Peg box curves back, one lateral spool-shaped peg on either side. Ivory triangular cut, ivory string holder. Two round holes on bottom of body. Fair condition. Finger board cracked, one side of head detached.Length: 64.5cm. Width neck (widest): 7.5 cm. Width resonating head: 13cm. Depth: 8 cm.
Kemangeh. flat, short-necked instrument in peart shape. 2 "D"-shaped holes in belly; shallow, linear and circular designs, 3 round pieces of pearl inlaid in V shape; carved, slat peg box. 3 long dorsal pegs; wood end button extending from body. Fair condition - two pegs broken, wood cracked, strings missing.Length: 41 cm. Belly width: 15 cm. Depth: 5 cm.
Crude wooden fiddle with hollowed out body rounded at top and forming a point at the lower end. Pointed end is covered with hide. Rosin Bag attached by cord to sound post. Neck made of crudely carved wood which is split and ehld together by a piece of brass hammered on. Arrowhead-shaped peg box with 3 metal jinglers on top. 2 lateral pegs. Horsehair string attached to hole in pegbox at one end and to a leather strap at the other end of instrumentCarved
