The Statue of a Sistrum-Player in Montrose and Her Position in an Early Ptolemaic Theban Priestly Family

Abstract

This article is the publication of an indurated limestone standing statue, now in Montrose Museum (ANGUSalive M1980.4578), identified as a Sistrum-player. The statue was collected in 1834 by Dr James Burnes IV, a relative of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, during a journey from India to Scotland. Stylistic features of the statue and its inscription are discussed here for the first time. Her family tree is also reconstructed based on known objects in international collections, restoring her to an important Theban priestly family of the early Ptolemaic Period, which is the largest yet proposed family tree for this group. This is followed by a discussion of the attested individuals.