About this artwork
With its brown-and-white spotting and alert eyes, this small frog appears astonishingly lifelike. Though Ancient Egyptians had several terms for small objects like this, we call them “amulets” today. Such charms were believed to bring those who wore them protection, health, and good luck. Worn by both the living and the dead, amulets helped ensure the wearer’s well-being in life and the afterlife.
The Egyptians likely linked frogs to fertility because of the animal’s prolific reproduction, and women may have worn amulets like this one to assist in pregnancy and delivery. Heqet, a goddess of childbirth, was one of the deities who appeared as a frog or a frog-headed woman. Frog-shaped amulets could also aid in rebirth to the afterlife.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Arts of Africa
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Culture
- Ancient Egyptian
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Title
- Amulet of a Frog
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Place
- Egypt (Object made in)
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Date
- 1550 BCE–664 BCE
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Medium
- Stone (mottled brown white)
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Dimensions
- 1.3 × 1.3 × 2 cm (9/16 × 9/16 × 13/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Charles L. Hutchinson
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Reference Number
- 1894.1955
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/134582/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
