Palette in the Form of a Fish
Unknown Artist
c. 3500–2950 BCE
Medium
graywacke
Dimensions
{"overall":{"width":0.105,"length":0.233}}
Classification
Implements
Department
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Elizabeth M. Skala
Accession Number
1989.32
About this artwork
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).