Painted clay Tilapia fish

This Tilapia fish, is delicately painted with a pastel type colour scheme of oranges and blues, which were quite popular within the reign of Amenhotep III and his son king Akhenaten’s. However, it is not just the paintwork of this fish which is catching to the eye, this small relic holds a specific purpose that may not be understood at first glance.

The Tilapia fish, is a little known Ancient Egyptian symbol of fertility. The concept of rebirth and regeneration were of extremely high importance to the spiritual structure of the Egyptian society, and the Tilapia fish specifically represented such ideals due to the way the fish carries its eggs within its mouth.

The witnessing of a creature of the Nile spitting out its eggs, harps back to the Ancient Egyptian creation myth. Most notably, the god Atum, spitting the god Shu and goddess Tefnut into creation. It is easy to see why the Tilapia became a creature of significant symbology to the Egyptians.

In recent years, modern technology allowed the Brooklyn Museum (where this clay fish now resides) to see inside this Ancient Egyptian fish, and within the belly are numerous pellets of clay, representing the eggs. It is easy to think this fish must have been some kind of rattle toy for a child, however, Egyptologists believe this fish was in fact used as a musical instrument, possibly during festivals or fertility rituals.