Important Egyptian Jewellery

Egyptian

A necklace of Egyptian tilapia fish amulets, New Kingdom, circa 1200 BC

Hardstone, glass, gold

Length: 46 cm
Maximum length of amulets: 1.3 cm

The restrung necklace is composed of fourteen mostly New Kingdom tilapia fish in red jasper, carnelian, diorite, glass, and gold/electrum. Interspersed with ancient discoid electrum spacer beads. The necklace has...

Provenance

With Byron Zoumboulakis, Geneva, 1970s

With Galerie Nefer, Zurich, 1978

Private Collection, Aarau, thence by descent

Private Collection, Switzerland

Exhibitions

On Loan: Antikenmuseum Basel & Sammlung Ludwig, 1998 – 2022

Literature

The nekhau pendant amulet was in the shape of a fish with a loop at its nose and 'it was attached to the end of a plait of a child or young female as a charm against drowning': C. Andrews, Amulets of Ancient Egypt, London, 1994, p. 41. The tilapia was also regarded as a symbol of rebirth and resurrection because it carries its eggs in its mouth and was, therefore, believed to be self-created. For similar see the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc. no. 26.7.1375 for a New Kingdom necklace with similar fish. Also see W.M.F. Petrie, Amulets, London, 1914, pl. XLIII no. 257c.

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Important Egyptian Jewellery

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