Lot Essay
The statue for this base is now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
The youthful god, Ihy, personified the jubilation emanating from the sacred rattle or sistrum; the Egyptians interpreted the name, Ihy, as meaning 'sistrum-player'. The sistrum was a cultic musical instrument used primarily in the worship of Hathor, the mother of Ihy. At the temple of Dendera, Ihy is shown as the child of Hathor and Horus. In the temple complex, the 'birth house' was the sanctuary where the mystery of the conception and birth of Ihy was celebrated. His name is rarely found outside the confines of Dendera temple, although occasionally in spells in the Coffin Texts or Book of the Dead he is referred to as "lord of bread ... in charge of beer". This may be a reference to the celebrations at Dendera which required a state of intoxication on the part of the acolyte in order to communicate with Hathor.
The youthful god, Ihy, personified the jubilation emanating from the sacred rattle or sistrum; the Egyptians interpreted the name, Ihy, as meaning 'sistrum-player'. The sistrum was a cultic musical instrument used primarily in the worship of Hathor, the mother of Ihy. At the temple of Dendera, Ihy is shown as the child of Hathor and Horus. In the temple complex, the 'birth house' was the sanctuary where the mystery of the conception and birth of Ihy was celebrated. His name is rarely found outside the confines of Dendera temple, although occasionally in spells in the Coffin Texts or Book of the Dead he is referred to as "lord of bread ... in charge of beer". This may be a reference to the celebrations at Dendera which required a state of intoxication on the part of the acolyte in order to communicate with Hathor.