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Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art: Painted Pottery Fish

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Painted Pottery Fish

The fish represented here is the Nile perch (or boltí), whose breeding habits attracted the Egyptians' attention. After the female perch lays her eggs, the fish draws them into her mouth, where they stay until they hatch and the young emerge. The Egyptians saw this as a kind of spontaneous generation and thus took the perch as a symbol of resurrection and rebirth. The figure is hollow and contains several clay pellets, representing the eggs. When shaken, the piece served as a rattle, perhaps to soothe a crying baby.

Medium: Pottery, painted
Geographical Locations:
- Place made: Egypt
- Possible place collected: Saqqara, Egypt
Dates: ca. 1390-1336 B.C.E.
Dynasty: late XVIII Dynasty
Period: New Kingdom
Dimensions: 2 1/2 x 4 5/16 in. (6.3 x 11 cm)
Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art
Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Amarna Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor
Accession Number: 48.111
Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Image: Overall, 48.111_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

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