Pair of Clappers

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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

Collections

Decorative Arts
Sculpture

Published References

Peck, 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 History

Toledo Museum of Art, The Egypt Experience: Secrets of the Tomb, October 29, 2010-January 8, 2012.

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. The elongated, graceful lines and refined craftsmanship exemplify the artistic style of the New Kingdom.