Description:

Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, ca. 800 to 1200 CE. Carved from a single piece of volcanic stone, a mortar assuming the form of a sweet smiling amphibian with a depression on its back for grinding substances most likely used in ritual. In the Pre-Columbian world frogs were associated with rain, all the sustenance it ensures, and by extension fertility. Their croaking sound was believed to herald rainstorms. In essence, frogs were thought to be powerful rainmakers. Their connotations with fertility stem from the fact that frogs lay thousands of eggs and typically assume a squatting position, as we see here, a pose commonly associated with childbirth. A wonderful example! Size: 11.75" L x 9" W x 4.5" H (29.8 cm x 22.9 cm x 11.4 cm)

Provenance: collection of the late Alfred E. Stendahl, Stendahl Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA

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#126347

  • Condition: Expected wear commensurate with age, but the image is still discernible. A few traces of white pigment and nice mineral deposits grace the surface.

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August 31, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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