Cosmetic Dish in the Shape of a Bolti Fish

Cosmetic Dish in the Shape of a Bolti Fish

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The bolti fish, or tilapia, common in the Nile valley since ancient times, is easily recognized by its long dorsal fin. The fish, which hatches its eggs in its mouth, was a symbol of regeneration and was also associated with the goddess Hathor and the sun god, Re. While carved in the round, this object is actually a fish-shaped dish, with a depression in one side that would have been used for the preparation of cosmetics. The cartouche just behind the gill contains the throne name of Thutmose III, Menkheperre. The dish may have been given by the king to a temple.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cosmetic Dish in the Shape of a Bolti FishCosmetic Dish in the Shape of a Bolti FishCosmetic Dish in the Shape of a Bolti FishCosmetic Dish in the Shape of a Bolti FishCosmetic Dish in the Shape of a Bolti Fish

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.