Pair of Clappers
Pair of Clappers
Place of OriginEgypt
DateNew Kingdom, Dynasty 18, about 1479-1298 BCE
DimensionsLeft: L: 11 3/4 in. (29.9 cm); Right: L: 11 15/16 in. (30.3 cm).
MediumWood with inlays of darker wood, likely sycamore for the hands and forearms.
ClassificationUtilitarian Objects
Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey.
Object number
1925.145A-B
On View
Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic
DescriptionCarved wooden arms with hands outstretched; bracelets and fingernails inlaid with a contrasting dark wood.
Label TextThis pair of wooden clappers, carved in the shape of human arms and hands, was used as a musical instrument in ancient Egypt. Tied together and shaken to produce a clacking sound, clappers—also known as hand wands or clap sticks—were believed to ward off evil spirits through both their form and noise. These objects were commonly placed in tombs to ensure protection in both life and the afterlife.Published ReferencesPeck, William H., Sandra E. Knudsen and Paula Reich, Egypt in Toledo: The Ancient Egyptian Collection at the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art, 2011, p. 59, repr. (col.).
Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, The Egypt Experience: Secrets of the Tomb, October 29, 2010-January 8, 2012.
Edo Period (1603-1868)
Zhou Dynasty (1045-222 BCE)
13th-14th century
13th-14th century
10th century
Meiji Era (1868-1912)
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