Fish
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
This charmingly painted tilapia symbolizes fertility. Because tilapias carry their fertilized eggs in their mouth until they are ready to hatch, the Egyptians viewed them as capable of spontaneous generation and thus regeneration and rebirth. X-rays have revealed pellets of clay inside this fish that represent the eggs and suggest it was used as a rattle during rituals, a form of musical accompaniment to prayer. The pastel black, red, and blue paints were common on pottery made at Akhenaten’s capital Amarna, and at his father’s palace at Malkata.
MEDIUM
Clay, pigment
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS
- Place made: Egypt
- Possible place collected: Saqqara, Egypt
DATES
ca. 1390â1336 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
late Dynasty 18
PERIOD
New Kingdom
DIMENSIONS
2 9/16 x 4 7/16 x 1 1/4 in. (6.5 x 11.2 x 3.2 cm) (show scale)
COLLECTIONS
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
48.111
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Painted pottery fish, interior hollow and fitted with six unpainted pottery pellets. Face area, tail, dorsal and anus fins and underbody painted light blue. Scales painted with black outline on tan background, in part colored blue and red. Eyes, mouth and gills incised. Anus in raised relief. Possibly a rattle but more probably a food offering intended to furnish supply of fish to deceased.
Condition: Minor chips on tail and fins. Tail assembled from two pieces. Pellets probably represent eggs.
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Fish, ca. 1390â1336 B.C.E. Clay, pigment, 2 9/16 x 4 7/16 x 1 1/4 in. (6.5 x 11.2 x 3.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 48.111. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 48.111_SL1.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 48.111_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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