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Mudstone, length 9-1/4 inches
Egypt, Predynastic, ca. 3500 bc
Stone palettes were used for grinding eyepaint, which was worn by men and women alike for cosmetic purposes, to ward off the glare of the sun, and to prevent eye infections. There were two types of eyepaint: green, made from malachite (an ore of copper), and black, made from galena (an ore of lead). Both the ores and the stone used for grinding them were found in the eastern desert.
Palettes in the shape of animals are among the most remarkable objects of the late Predynastic period. The particular animals chosen were significant, for the Egyptians were close observers of animal behavior. The fish represented on this palette, the common Nile tilapia, or bulti-fish, is a mouth brooder, which means that after the eggs are laid and fertilized in the nest, they are taken up in the mouth of the fish until they hatch. The sight of the young fish issuing fully formed from the parent's mouth may have recalled to the ancient Egyptians the myth whereby the god Atum created the world single-handedly. Thus the tilapia became a symbol of fertility and rebirth in the next life.
Bequest of Elisabeth M. Skala, 1989.32
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