Description:

Northern Peru, Inca culture, Ca 1400 to 1500 CE. While the Inca are certainly better known for their exceptional pottery and metal work, they were also master stone carvers. This adorable carved frog enjoys very realistic amphibian attributes along with a whimsical human-like smiling face. Body with numerous incised circular "warts", feet and legs in deep relief, underside left reserved. The frog was an amphibian of great significance during Pre-Columbian times. According to scholar Dorie Reents-Budet, "The frog may be a totem, symbolic of transformational abilities or special connections to the supernatural" Exploring Art of the Ancient Americas (2012). Perhaps the manifestation of both amphibian and human attributes in this piece alludes to the creature's transitional state. 3-3/4" L by 2-1/2" W

Provenance: Ex- Gamba Collection, NY

All items in this auction have been legally acquired, are legal to sell, and guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids, papered by our parent company, Artemis Gallery Ancient Art.

The starting price is the lowest price at which the lot can sell.

  • Condition: Intact and near choice with surface slightly worn from centuries of burial.

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January 24, 2014 9:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000