Unknown Artist
Egypt
Oxyrhynchus Fish, 570-350 BCE
Bronze, 4 1/2 x 2 1/8 x 1/2 inches
Gift of Mr. Leonard Epstein
Medjed was a species of elephant fish worshipped in ancient Egyptian religion. The elephant fish (family Mormyridae) are medium-sized freshwater fish abundant in the Nile. The elephant fish gets its name from its elongated downturned snout, which can be seen clearly in this example. A settlement in Upper Egypt, Per-Medjed, was named after the fish and is now better known under its Greek name Oxyrhynchus. Revered by the Egyptians, the Medjed is often seen with the horned disk on its head. This fish was likely worn as an amulet, as evidenced by the ring attached to the back of the headpiece.
Gypsum
Laguna del Rey, Coahuila, Mexico
11 x 14 x 10 inches
Gypsum is a soft calcium sulfate mineral (hardness 2 out of 10), used as a fertilizer and as the main ingredient in plaster and drywall. This large “fishtail” crystal specimen was found in the early 1970s.
Unknown Carver
Quartz fish
Carved in Brazil
2 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 1 inches
The quartz fish has carved scales and fins, and black onyx eyes with a surrounding opal ring.
