Arc sistrum of Tapenu, chantress of Sobek of Khenyt
Description
New Kingdom–Late Period, ca. 1186–600 BCE. Cupreous metal. H. 36.1 × W. 8.4 × D. 5.5 cm (14 3/16 × 3 5/16 × 2 3/16 in.). Possibly from: Gebel el-Silsila, Southern Upper Egypt. Credit: Purchase, Dr. and Mrs. Edmundo Lassalle Gift, 1968.
AI image analysis GPT-5.4-nano
Machine-generated from the object's image on Jul 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
A bronze/cuprous metal arc sistrum with a face-like terminal and curved frame, intended for rattling/ritual sound.
The object is a handheld arc sistrum: a tall vertical handle topped by a curved metal loop. Across the upper loop are several small horizontal metal rods/rattles (approximately three across the frame) that would move to create sound. The lower terminal has an applied sculpted face/mascaron with closed or half-lidded eyes and small side elements resembling ears or side curls, surmounted by a collar-like band. The face sits above a cylindrical handle with banded decoration near the top; the metal surface shows wear and patina. No readable inscriptions are visible on the handle or collar, and no clear cartouches appear in the image.
Cross-references (4)
- Wikidata-Q Q116245353 tier-1
- Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- Inventory-Number 68.44 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- MET-Object 553814 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access).
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.