Maya Frog Stone Palette, Ritual Wells, Rain Fertility Symbol

Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica, Maya, ca. 500–800 CE. A crouching frog, or perhaps a toad, worked from dense gray volcanic stone, its body compacted into a rounded boulder form with folded limbs, swollen haunches, and a broad grinning mouth beneath heavy lidded eyes. Two deep hemispherical wells are hollowed into the back, drilled and ground out with care and separated by a raised ridge. Such paired cavities most likely held pigment, and the legacy record suggests poison as an alternative; both readings remain speculative. The carver favored massed volume over detail, cutting only the ridges of the brow, the mouthline, and the limb contours into an otherwise granular surface. Amphibians carried strong associations with rain, fertility, and the watery underworld across Maya thought. Size: 4.5" W x 3.375" H x 2.125" D (11.4 cm W x 8.6 cm H x 5.4 cm D).

Frogs and toads occupy a distinctive niche in Maya religious imagery. Their emergence with the first rains tied them to Chaak and the agricultural calendar, and their croaking was read as a summons to the storm; the glyph for the syllable "wo" takes the form of a toad's head. The bufo species native to Mesoamerica also secrete potent parotoid compounds, which is likely the origin of the poison-container tradition attached to vessels of this type, though the association is a collecting-world convention rather than an excavated fact.

Small stone palettes with paired or multiple wells are known across Mesoamerica and are generally interpreted as grinders and holders for mineral pigments, cinnabar and hematite among them, used in painting, body decoration, and mortuary preparation. The choice of a hard vesicular volcanic stone suits that use: it resists staining and provides an abrasive interior surface.

Provenance: Collection of a Chicago physician. Ex. Jerome Grunes, MD., Chicago. To family by inheritance.

SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.

PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.

Item #

73055

Condition
Excellent overall ancient surface patina. Intact, excellent condition.

Buyer's Premium
30%