KM 1084
Red-figure fish plate
Late 4th century BC
Campania, Italy
Like a modern day 'dip' bowl, this plate held a sauce, probably a fish sauce called garum, in its center depression. Although used to serve fish, the plate could also carry nuts, fruit, cakes, and even funerary offerings. Represented here are two perch and a 'torpedo fish', prized not only for its flesh, liver, and medicinal uses, but for its ability to emit electric shocks.