Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Nayarit, Chinesco, Type B, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A hand-built and highly-burnished redware pottery vessel in the form of a charming amphibian which rests on a flat, circular base which is stabilized by two tab-shaped hind legs. The outstretched head has a pair of raised, slit-form eyes, an upturned nose, and a projecting lip, and the front and sides are adorned with applied white pigment. The bulbous body exhibits large, discoid shoulders as well as dozens of small raised nodules along the back below a conical spout. The raised bumps along the verso indicate this female frog has built up a supply of mature eggs - which she stores in the latter half of her body - that she will deposit in a shallow, watery area for a male to fertilize. Covered in a polished red slip, this is a fascinating example of ancient biological observation! Size: 5" W x 4.9" H (12.7 cm x 12.4 cm).

Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s; ex-Primus Gallery

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#140932

Small losses to spout rim, and repair to one front foot with some resurfacing and overpainting along break lines. Minor nicks to feet, body, and spout, with fading to some areas of pigmentation, and minor abrasions. Light earthen and manganese deposits, and nice craquelure to scattered areas. Old inventory label beneath base.