Faience

The beautiful blue-green material that this sistrum is made of, is called faience. The material was known as tjehnet to the ancient Egyptians, which means something like that which is brilliant or scintillating. Faience was associated with light, rebirth and fertility in Ancient Egypt, and thus had a special significance in Ancient Egyptian society. Note that these associations are similar to Hathor’s. The material would thus be considered especially appropriate for the goddess.

More on the material in the read below. Or, if you can’t wait to dive into the inscription, go to the next step.