Ancient Near East, Mesopotamia, Sumerian, ca. 3000 to 2200 BCE. A stunning lapis lazuli stone carved into the form a crouching frog, simplified with slight bumps as the eyes, the front legs faintly etched, and an incised line down the spine. Lapis was a heavenly stone - a brilliant blue with shimmering pyrite and white calcite striations like clouds, as if the stone fell to earth from the sky. The earliest recorded texts from Egypt and Near Eastern cultures mention lapis, however the stone was mined in the distant northeastern region of Afghanistan - transported westward or south overseas where it eventually arrived in Egypt and Mesopotamia via the extensive trade networks or as diplomatic gifts between cultures. The coloration of this lapis, size, and the ancient artistry replete with fertility symbolism makes this a superb example! This amulet may have been a lucky item associated with cleansing, healing, and prosperity. Size: 2.3" L x 1.75" W (5.8 cm x 4.4 cm)

Mesopotamians regarded frogs as beings of fertility and life- a direct correlation with the rivers that the cultures in this region depended on - the Tigris, and Euphrates. The waterways and marshes that created the Fertile Crescent were home to frogs and toads, thriving on both land and water, metamorphosing from tadpoles to 4-limbed amphibians which regularly shed their skin, symbolic of rebirth and change. Frogs were associated with Enki (Ea), the Sumerian god of creation and wisdom who ruled the underwater realm of Apsu.

Similarly in ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, Heqet or Heket is one of the oldest and most important deities in Egyptian mythos as she is most-closely associated with the child-bearing process, birth, and reproduction.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#175421

Old chips and abrasions to underside of and loss to front incised limbs. Great coloration mineral inclusions throughout with shimmering pyrite flecks and striations.