Ancient Turquoise Frog Pendant, Turquoise Disc Beads and Spherical Agate Beads

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Ancient Turquoise Frog Pendant, Turquoise Disc Beads and Spherical Agate Beads

About the Item

The frog has been used as an amulet of protection since very early times. Frogs inhabit both the watery (under) world and the land and they undergo a transition from tadpole to frog. The complete transformation of the body from one form to another is remarkable and suggestive of magical forces. In addition, the sudden appearance of many frogs in the spring coincides with the beginning of the rains that will begin the growing season. Frogs are the heralds of the agricultural cycle. The life cycle of the frog is a story of transformation, with the tadpole swimming in the water and then changing form to emerge onto the land. The tadpoles seem to appear overnight in great numbers as if from nowhere. Then they mysteriously transform into frogs. These symbolic associations of the frog made it a talisman of abundance, bounty, and magical transformation. In ancient Egypt, the hieroglyph for the numeral 100,000 was represented by a frog. Frogs appear suddenly following the first rains of spring in great numbers, and are therefore harbingers of growth and fertility. The transformation they undergo in their life cycle, from egg to tadpole to frog is also notable. They begin life in the water, later transitioning to land, all of which is symbolically important. Humans also make this transition at birth, leaving the watery world of the womb and being born onto the land. This association accounts for the linking of the symbol of the frog to the uterus. This necklace consists of forty-two spherical agate beads and sixty-three small turquoise disc beads. In the center is a turquoise bead in the form of a frog. The frog is 2.2 cm in length, 1.8 cm in width and 1.65 cm in height. The perforation is 3 mm in diameter and runs longitudinally. The agate beads graduate in size from the front to the back of the necklace. The largest is 7.5 mm in length, 1 cm in width and has a perforation diameter of 1.5 mm. To the right of the frog's mouth is a more spherical bead - it is 1 cm in length and width. The perforation diameter is 2 mm. At the back, the smallest round bead is 6.9 mm in diameter. Each round agate bead is separated by three 2 mm turquoise disc beads. The frog is speckled with orange-brown spots that harmonize with the different brown colors of the agate beads. All the beads come from what is now northern Pakistan and the surrounding area. The turquoise disc beads were most likely made sometime in the Bronze Age, probably about three thousand years ago. The agate beads are about two thousand years old from the Iron Age and come from the same area. The frog is more difficult to date, as we are not aware of comparable frog beads of this large size. The necklace is finished with a hand made Fine silver clasp. The necklace is 20 ½ inches (52 cm) in length. The necklace weighs 39 grams.

Creator:
David Ebbinghouse
Stone:
Agate,Turquoise
Stone Cut:
Bead
Weight:
39 g
Dimensions:
Length: 20.48 in (520 mm)
Style:
Artist
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
Unknown
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. All of the stone beads used in this piece are ancient. They have been carefully collected and selected over a period of years to produce this one-of-a-kind necklace.
Seller Location:
Bloomington, IN
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2425218229202