Egypt, Predynastic (5000–2950 BCE), Naqada II–III (3650–3000 BCE) / c. 3500–2950 BCE
Palette in the Form of a Fish
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Palette in the Form of a Fish as tools and equipment (Egypt, Predynastic (5000–2950 BCE), Naqada II–III (3650–3000 BCE) · c. 3500–2950 BCE).
This fish shape is one of the most common for Egyptian cosmetic palettes.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this tools and equipment as graywacke.
The museum's collection notes: Stone palettes were used for grinding eye paint worn for cosmetic purposes and to protect against sun glare and eye infections. There were two types: green, made from malachite (copper ore), and black, made from galena (lead ore). As funerary items, these ores may have had a deep significance for the deceased as symbols of regeneration and rebirth: the rich soil of the banks of the Nile (black), and the lush vegetation it sustained (green).
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPalette in the Form of a FishOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.