Gold Pendant of a Frog with a Double Headed Snake in its Mouth - FJ.6053, Origin: Costa Rican/Panamanian Border , Area, Circa: 500 AD to 1550 AD, Catalogue: V21, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Pre-Columbian, Medium: Gold. This wonderfully playful frog looks as though it is about to spring forward onto an invisible tree branch. The long, thin legs are bent and ready to leap. The toes which would generally be depicted as suckers have been stylized into flat rectangles of flattened gold. The suckers enable arboreal frogs to climb trees. The large, gold eyes were applied and encircled by a thin line of gold. The elegant filigree ornamentation which flows forth from either side of the frog's mouth most probably depicts serpents. The rhythmic swirling effect of the serpents' flowing bodies balances out the bold geometric design of the lower half of the frog's body. We cannot easily interpret its symbolic importance, but we do believe that frogs and serpents were associated with fertility rituals. Their mythical roles involved supernatural or extraordinary traits. This miniature gold masterpiece which silently shimmers in all its glory and mystery before us is undoubtedly an exceptional work of art.

Antiquities
Ancient Jewelry