Sistrum Inscribed with the Name of King Teti. Sixth Dynasty, reign of Teti (ca. 2323–2291 B.C.E.). Egyptian alabaster with remains of pigment; H. 10 1/2 in. (26.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926 (26.7.1450).

This delicate and beautifully carved piece is a sacred sistrum, or musical rattle, dedicated to the goddess Hathor of Dendara. The copper frame, wires, and jangling disks of the rattle are now lost. The handle is carved in the form of a papyrus stalk with an open flower on which rests a small shrine, or naos, surmounted by figures of a falcon and a cobra lifting his hood. The three names of King Teti are carved on the naos framed by the hieroglyph for the sky and two was scepters. Down the stalk of the papyrus, the king's name is carved again along with the title "Beloved of Hathor," placing the king under the protection of Hathor, Lady of Dendara. The sistrum was probably used in religious ceremonies when it was shaken rhythmically to produce a jingling sound.