Bowl with design of fish and lotus

This type of bowl, decorated with painted fish and lotus flowers, was a ritual object in New Kingdom Egypt (ca. 1539–1075 B.C.E.) and is often found in tombs. The lotus symbolized rebirth because the blue lotus sinks below the surface of the water each evening at sunset and re-emerges each morning at sunrise. The Tilapia fish, which also symbolized rebirth, is often included in the designs. This type of fish holds its eggs in its mouth until they hatch, thus appearing to regenerate spontaneously when live fish swim out of the parent's mouth. The design at the center symbolizes a pool, or water in general, and the entire work comes to represent the marsh and the symbols of rebirth found therein.
<P>
These bowls are particularly associated with the goddess Hathor, and many are decorated with her symbols. While the function of the bowls is unclear, many show signs of wear and have been found in tombs. They may have been ritual containers for water, wine, or even milk. The symbolism of rebirth also implies their use as funerary objects or at least as votive objects to a deity like Hathor, who was connected to the necropolis and thus linked to the protection and rebirth of the dead.