Frog pendant

300–800 CE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 360

The color of Mesoamerican jade, often called greenstone, ranges from a near white to a deep blue green. Associations with water, plant life, and thus fertility caused jade to be prized above all other materials in Mesoamerica. This carved pendant of light green jade flecked with white reinforces the symbolism of water with its amphibian subject. The frog presents a realistically rendered anatomy, including poison glands on top of the head behind the eyes, combined with the abstract details of a zigzag motif down the spine and the goggled eyes. The pendant was strung through a drilled hole on the sides of the abdomen just behind the front legs.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Frog pendant
Artist: Central Region artist(s)
Date: 300–800 CE
Geography: Costa Rica
Culture: Atlantic Watershed
Medium: Jadeite
Dimensions: H. 2 x W. 1 9/16 x D. 7/16 in. (5.1 x 4 x 1.1cm)
Classifications: Stone-Ornaments, Jade
Credit Line: The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
Object Number: 1979.206.846
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

More Artwork

By Central Region artist(s)

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Flying Panel Metate, Central Region artist(s), Stone, Central Region — Flying Panel Metate
Central Region artist(s)
1 - 500 CE

Bird pendant, Central Region artist(s), Jadeite, Central Region — Bird pendant
Central Region artist(s)
300–700 CE

Winged pendant, Central Region artist(s), Greenstone, Costa Rican — Winged pendant
Central Region artist(s)
300–800 CE

Pendant, Central Region artist(s), Jadeite, Central Region — Pendant
Central Region artist(s)
300–700 CE

Frog pendant, Chiriquí artist(s), Gold, Chiriquí — Frog pendant
Chiriquí artist(s)
700–1550 CE

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