Western Asiatic Seal with Frog

£ 600.00

A Western Asiatic hemispheric black serpentine stamp seal featuring a carved depiction of a frog and a horizontally pierced loop for suspension. The frog appears to be ‘flattened’ on a horizontal plane with its legs outstretched, a shape that has been compared to the depictions of birth-giving posture.

Date: Circa 3rd-1st Millennium BC
Provenance: Property of a London gentleman, acquired from a major Mayfair gallery. Acquired on the London art market before 2000, by repute from the Erlenmeyer collection.
Condition: Very fine, the details of the carving are clearly visible. The item comes with an imprint of the seal image.
Product Code: NES-27
Category: Tags: , ,

In many Western Asiatic and Near Eastern cultures, frogs were associated with spring, regeneration and fertility, as frogs were considered highly fertile animals. In addition, frogs were widely present in the marshlands of Mesopotamia and on the banks of the Nile, which explains their popularity in Near Eastern and Egyptian iconography. It is relatively rare to have frogs impressed in seals. Usually frogs would have been carved in the round, and deposited as amulets in graves or shrines. Larger stone frogs were used as trade weights.

To discover more about Mesopotamian peoples, please visit our relevant post: Civilisations of the Ancient Near East.

Dimensions W 3 cm
Stone

Serpentine

Region

Near East (Western Asiatic)

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