Amulet of a Frog
New Kingdom–Third Intermediate Period (about 1550–664 BCE)
Medium
Stone (mottled brown white)
Dimensions
1.3 × 1.3 × 2 cm (9/16 × 9/16 × 13/16 in.)
Classification
amulet
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
134582
Rights
Public Domain
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 ...
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....