Fish Flask

At the time this cultural artifact was created, Egypt was divided into separate kingdoms. The north-east was ruled by foreigners known as the Hyksos. Some of their pottery, like this juglet, combined Near Eastern shapes with Egyptian designs. The fish shown - a tilapia - was significant for Egyptians as a symbol of rebirth. This might have been because they had observed that when threatened tilapia hold their young in their mouths, but when danger passes, the baby fish swim back out as if reproducing spontaneously.