Egyptian Pre-Dynastic Naqada Flint Fishtail Knife

Ancient Egypt, Pre-Dynastic Period, Naqada I to III, ca. 4000 to 3000 BCE. A bifacial blade known as a peseshkaf or fishtail knife, hand-knapped from creamy brown flint. The blade, as the name suggests, is Y-shaped like a fish tail with serrations notched into the interior curve and outer edges of the two fins. These petite serrations are painstakingly flaked, and demonstrate the skill and control needed to shape such a seemingly simple form. The lower two-thirds of the tang or grip are not serrated. These rare tools may have been used to sever umbilical cords and have been found in tombs where they also served a funerary purpose. They were used in a practice known as "opening of the mouth," an act that marked rebirth, where the deceased's mouth was propped open with the blade so they could speak, breath, and receive sustenance in the afterlife. Size: 4.125" L x 2.3" W (10.5 cm x 5.8 cm)

Provenance: private Toronto, Ontario, Canada collection, by descent, acquired in Egypt in 1894 to 1896

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#167189
Condition Report: Loss to tip of handle as shown. Serrations are mostly intact and very good. Minor surface nicks not from knapping process.