Amulet, fish

Art Historical Context

This delicate gold amulet, shaped a fish, dates to Egypt's Middle Kingdom through the Second Intermediate Period (ca. 1981–1550 B.C.), spanning Dynasties 12–17. Crafted from pure gold—a precious metal symbolizing eternity and the divine skin of gods—these small pendants were worn as jewelry or placed in tombs to offer protection in the afterlife. Its simple yet elegant form reflects the refined metalworking techniques of the era, where artisans hammered and incised soft gold into symbolic shapes with remarkable precision. In ancient Egyptian culture, amulets like this fish held profound magic...