Statue of Heqat, the Frog Goddess
Unknown Artist
c. 2950 BCE
Medium
travertine (Egyptian alabaster)
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.154,"width":0.147,"depth":0.155}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Accession Number
1976.5
About this artwork
During the Predynastic period statues of animals are much more common than those of humans. This statue of a frog stands at the beginning of a great tradition of animal sculpture in Egyptian art. The sculptor has shown great sensitivity to the natural banding of the stone, using it to enhance the roundness of the animal's form. Small frogs, mostly of faience, are among the most common votive offerings deposited at early temple sites. The frog's exact religious significance in the Predynastic per...