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Palette in the Form of a Fish
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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).
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePalette in the Form of a Fish, c. 3500–2950 BCE. Egypt, Predynastic (5000–2950 BCE), Naqada II–III (3650–3000 BCE). Graywacke; overall: 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Elizabeth M. Skala, 1989.32
