Lot 87
**First Time At Auction**
Pre-Columbian, Central America, Panama, Gran Cocle, ca. 600 to 1000 CE. A gorgeous frog pendant cast from tumbaga - a type of gold alloy - in a robust form with twin perforations below its front feet, ready to suspend from your favorite gold chain or simply admire as a work of art! This magnificent frog looks as though it is about to spring onto a tree branch with its long, thin legs bent and poised to leap, its feet in a stylized, flattened form rather than suckers. Magnificent gold coils flank the head, sitting to either side of the bulging eyes, and emerge from the pointed snout, almost resembling a bifurcated tongue. Note how the scrolling fillagree strikingly contrasts the bold geometry of the frog's body. A dazzling piece of wearable art from the ancient Americas! Size: 1.8" L x 1.3" W (4.6 cm x 3.3 cm); tumbaga quality: 82% gold (equivalent to over 19 karats), 12% copper, 3.8% silver; weight: 19.8 grams
This frog pendant is not only impressive for its precious goldwork and artistry, but also deeply symbolic as frogs signified seasonal rainfalls as well as fertility. Ancient societies of Central America used gold ornaments to symbolize power and honor in both life and death. Leaders wore cast gold animals including frogs like this example - given that numerous species of frogs live in Panama, ranging from tiny terrestrial species to enormous tree frogs, some possessing poisonous skins and many with brilliant hues, hybrid human-animal figures, as well as composite beasts. Gold was so highly regarded that leaders were buried surrounded by goldworks.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Texas, USA collection, acquired in the 2000s
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#176545
- Condition: Small area of loss on posterior, as well as minor chipping to coils flanking head and some very light surface wear. Casting flaw to proper right side of head. Otherwise, excellent with lustrous sheen from professional cleaning. Wearable as a pendant.
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