Amulet, frog
Unknown Artist
Medium
Porphyry
Dimensions
Height: 1.3 x 2.7 cm (1/2 x 1 1/16 in.)
Classification
Amulet, frog
Period
Third Intermediate Period–Late Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
Accession Number
10.130.1929
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate frog amulet, carved porphyry—a prized hardstone revered in ancient Egypt for its durability and rich purple hue—measures just 1.3 x 2.7 cm, small enough to wear as jewelry or place in a tomb. Dating to the Third Intermediate Period through the Late Period (ca. 1070–332 B.C.), it exemplifies the Egyptians' masterful miniaturist tradition, where tiny sculptures packed profound symbolic power. Frogs held deep cultural significance in ancient Egypt, often linked to, rebirth, and the Nile's life-giving floods. As amulets, these frog forms were believed to protect the wearer, invoke t...