Ancient Egyptian percussion instrument, a rattle consisting of a wood, metal, or clay frame set loosely with crossbars (often hung with jingles that sound when the instrument is shaken). A handle is attached to the frame. It was sacred to Hathor and used in ceremonial worship of Isis and at funerals. Open-topped, U-shaped sistrums existed by 2500 Be in Sumer. They are still used in Coptic and Ethiopian churches, in western Africa, among two Native American tribes, and in Malaysia and Melanesia. (syn. seistron)
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology, Barbara Ann Kipfer, 2000Copied