Provenance
Concerning the wallet-spacer girdle 135, Chaban found one three-hole lapis spacer, 1.2 W (pp. 29f); it has two rows of hatching engraved along the edge, and three holes piercing the spacer laterally. Carter also found a lapis spacer comparable to Chaban’s, to judge by the drawing (p. 47).
Relevant to the Tilapia-sp2icer girdle 136, one fish is listed in Carter 1907—22: 54 no. 1127 as “Princesses tomb Gabbanat El Qirud, Gift to Ld. C.” and in Carter 1926: 217 no. 1127, “Princess’ Tomb, Gabbanat El Qirud, Gift to Lord Carnarvon.”
For the ring beads used, see p. 171.
Previous assessment
Winlock intermixed the gold and lapis spacers of 135 and strung them with gold ring beads, as he states that the latter were found in holes of “the larger elements” (Winlock 1948: 37f, pi. 21; see also Winlock 1935: fig. 13; Hayes 1959b: 135, fig. 73, Kayser 1969: fig. 210, and A. Wilkinson 1971: 134, 222 note 4, pi. 47b). In 1959, Scott incorporated newly-purchased gold spacers—one of the earlier type and six of a poorer type now in 187.
The Tilapia-sp2.CQr girdle (here 136) made use of small gold, carnelian, and red faience beads from the beginning (Winlock 1935: fig. 13); in 1948, Winlock identified the fish as “probably the Tilapia nilotica” (38, pi. 21). It was widely illustrated thereafter (Hayes 1959b: 136, fig. 73; Kayser 1969: fig. 210; A. Wilkinson 1971: 135, 222 note 6; Aldred 1971: 207f, pi. 63; C. Andrews 1990: I42f, fig. 125).
Current understanding
Several unknowns make the reconstructions below only suggestions: the original number of each spacer type, the original number of girdles, and the type of fiUer beads used.
Beginning with the waUet-spacer girdle 135, the thirty-nine spacers extant are too many and the spacing between elements too little to have comprised only one jewel (excavated material indicates that spacing between elements is generally i/4 to 2V2 times the length of a spacer). Furthermore, the details of the spacers differ, indicating that they might have come from different objects.
No specific discussions of the iconography of “wallet” spacers have been found; it is a popular form in the New Kingdom (C. Andrews 1981: Appendix Z), seeming to replace Cotr’ne-spacers (loc. cit., Appendix M). Pinch equates the form with Cowrie-sheWs when discussing faience examples found at a Hathor shrine (1993: 285, fig. 2 [lower left]).
Eremin et al. (2000: 37) state that the earliest girdle of this type belonged to Petrie’s Qurna woman. Twenty-six two-string spacers were interspersed with barrel beads there, all of electrum, and the girdle was tied in order to decrease its circumference from 31.6” (without clasp) to 28.4” (Petrie 1909: 9). Wallet spacers in Ahhotep’s group were gold—seventeen total and of two sizes, all with two sets of holes (Vernier 1925: CG 52733). Passalacqua also found precious-metal wallet spacers at Thebes: eleven silver examples with two holes (Moller 1910: no. 33). Carter found six precious metal spacers in an intact burial there (tomb 43, burial 12; unpublished).
Wallet spacers could be made of other materials, however. Meryetamun had a three-strand girdle composed entirely of lapis, as revealed by a 38 cm section found on her mummy (Winlock 1932: 70 no. 7). Two faience spacers with ring beads were found near the thighs of burial 3 in the tomb of Ramose and Hatnufer (Hayes 1959b: fig. loi; MMA 36.3.25). Kha’s wife Meret had—according to X rays—an elaborate arrangement: five strands along the front of the body, where eleven precious-metal wallet spacers were interspersed with glass or faience ring beads; and three strands along the back, separated periodically by larger glass or faience beads.
As for the second girdle, 136, the number of Ti/apih-spacers (twenty-one) is in keeping with excavated evidence, and the quality indicates royal workmanship, but the spacing between elements seems short.
Concerning the design of the fish, lines on the tail fins generally are horizontal on Egyptian representations, rather than vertical as here (see Lilyquist 1988b: fig. 20). However, the living fish has dark vertical stripes on the tail (Gamer-Wallert 1970: pi. 5.6) and these are occasionally represented (loc. cit., fig. 4a, pi. 14.2). Interestingly, only one other fish spacer has been located, a gold one with two sets of holes from Thebes, total length 1.3 (Moller 1910: no. 52). For pendant fish amulets that may be of the period, see Lilyquist 1988b: figs. 69, 71-2.
In the New Kingdom, Tilapia-?ish often appear on toilet objects or bowls that connote vitality, sexuality, and rejuvenation, and Gammer-Wallert has also pointed out Tilapia-fish textual references to Hathor and rejuvenation (1970: 24-7, 109-13). See also Andrews 1994: 67.
Girdles per se are represented on king’s daughters in ritual contexts: Rosellini 1832: pi. 19.23 (=Naville 1906: pi. 141), pi. 19.24 (=NaviUe 1906: pi. 145). The mummy of Amenhotep I has a string of ball beads around the hips that Derry thought must be metal strung with smaller beads of stone or faience (Derry 1934: 48; Wente and Harris 1980: Bi, sheet i); this must be a misplaced object.
135 Reconstructed girdle with wallet spacers
Fig. 167
MMA 26.8.60 (including Carter, P 93, selective 58.153.8, 1982.137.5).
Source Spacers: one lapis, Gift of Howard Carter (Fig. 19); twenty-one gold, nine lapis (P 93, Fletcher Fund, 1920); one gold (selective 58.153.8, Frederick P. Huntley Bequest, 1958); four gold and four lapis (1982.137.5, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1982). Gold ring beads: P 55, purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1919. For other sources of rings see p. 171.
Materials Lapis lazuli, gold.
Dimensions L as strung 81.3.
Manufacture All but one of the twenty-six currently assembled gold spacers have the same design: parallel chased lines bordering the curved surface of the unit, with hatching from the inner line to the edge. On the exceptional spacer, there is a third row of hatching running beyond the inner curved line. Fourteen units are generally the same size (W 1.5, H i. o); eight are i. i x 0.8; and two are roughly 0.9 x 0.6. Two others have no matches. Each unit was formed from two die-stamped parts that were fused together and then chased.
The thirteen lapis spacers are more varied; one of them matches the gold spacers exactly, and a second one is a poor version. Two others have two parallel lines where hatching of the inner of two rows extends beyond the inner curved line. The other spacers are more simple: four have only one scribed line, with hatching between
It and the curved edge of the spacer, and five have hatching extending beyond that scribed line to make a second row of hatching.
Condition Signs of wear.
Bibliography Muller and Thiem 1998: figs. 355-6.
136 Reconstructed girdle with Tilapia-fish spacers
Fig. 168
MMA 26.8.61a (P 39, P 95, 26.7.1354); selective 1987-399-Ic-i.
Source Twenty-one fish: Fletcher Fund, 1919 (P 39) and 1920 (P 95). One fish: Carnarvon Collection; Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926. Ring beads: Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1987.
Material Gold.
Dimensions L as strung 83.8, L of individual fish 2.4.
Manufacture At least a third of the fish have PGE inclusions (Cleveland, Grossbard). Each fish is composed of two halves shaped in a die, fused very neatly around the circumference. Three holes in mouth and three in tail, the latter centered in horizontal scorings; a smaller hole behind the dorsal fin in most examples. Dorsal, pectoral, ventral, and tail fins were chased with parallel lines.
Condition Normal wear. One fish with open seam, two dented. Some resin on surface.
Bibliography Muller and Thiem 1998: figs. 353-4; Haslauer 2001b: no. 77; Lilyquist 2002: 460 no. 185; Ziegler 2002: 334 fig. 9.
World History
