Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Tilapia Fish
Fish were not only a major staple in the diet of the ancient Egyptians, but many species were also related to gods. This exceptional fish pendant depicts a "Tilapia nilotica," a common species in the Nile. It was appreciated for its taste, and was also regarded as a symbol of rebirth and resurrection because it carries its eggs in its mouth and was, therefore, believed to be self-created. Carnelian was very popular in the New Kingdom and was used especially for rings, pendants, and other items of jewelry.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
William Tyssen-Amherst, London, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Collection of Lord Carmichael of Skirling [a few miles north of Biggar, Scotland] [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Antiquities of the Collection of the Late Lord Carmichael of Skirling Sale, Sotheby and Company, London, June 9, 1926, p. 22, lot 233 (19); Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris, 1926, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1926, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2014-2015 | Die Entstehung der Welt. Ägyptens letzter Schöpfungsmythos (The Origin of the World. Egypt’s Last Creation Myth). Roemer- und Pelizaeus- Museum, Hildesheim; Kunsthalle Leoben, Leoben. |
| 2013-2014 | Egypt’s Mysterious Book of the Faiyum. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 2010 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry. El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso. |
| 2006-2009 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1982-1983 | Egypt's Golden Age: The Art of Living in the New Kingdom (1558-1085 B.C.). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston; Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston; The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 10/8/1974 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 10/19/1978 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 8/19/1998 | Examination | survey |
Geographies
Egypt (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 11/16 x W: 1 1/4 x D: 1/4 in. (1.8 x 3.2 x 0.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1926
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
42.196