Description:

Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A delightful apple green jade bead, pierced laterally for suspension, and in the form of a crouching, wide toad or bullfrog. His eyes, legs, and mouth are all nicely incised while the disc-shaped form of the bead gives the impression of his body. This bead is set into a modern 14K gold ring with six faceted diamonds, three on the upper edge and three on the lower. Size of ancient bead: 0.5" W (1.3 cm); ring is: 0.5" W x 0.95" H (1.3 cm x 2.4 cm); US ring size: 9.75

In Mesoamerica, people would have heard the chorus of frogs and toads as rain arrived - indeed, to the Maya, frogs are known as the musicians of the rain god Chaac. The connection between frogs and lifegiving water means that many frog images are carved from jade, as this one, which was symbolically connected to water itself. The Maya also used the hallucinogenic secretions of the largest Mesoamerican toad, Bufo marinus, in religious rituals.

Provenance: private Arcadia, California, USA collection, acquired prior to 2000s from a 1960s collection

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#153632

  • Condition: Ancient jade bead in modern setting. Bead has a small area of incision/scratching on face but is otherwise in lovely condition.

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September 3, 2020 10:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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