<em>Figure of a Frog</em>, ca. 3000–2675 B.C.E. Faience, 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm). Anonymous loan, L58.2.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, L58.2.2_transp5524.jpg)

Figure of a Frog, ca. 3000–2675 B.C.E. Faience, 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm). Anonymous loan, L58.2.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, L58.2.2_transp5524.jpg)

<em>Figure of a Frog</em>, ca. 3000–2675 B.C.E. Faience, 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm). Anonymous loan, L58.2.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , CUR.L58.2.2_L58.2.4_L58.2.6_erg3.jpg)

Figure of a Frog, ca. 3000–2675 B.C.E. Faience, 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm). Anonymous loan, L58.2.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , CUR.L58.2.2_L58.2.4_L58.2.6_erg3.jpg)

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Why did Egyptians make figures of frogs?

Frogs inhabited marshlands and in later eras frogs were associated with fertility and protected in childbirth. They have have served a similar purpose in the far past as well.These frogs are from prehistoric Ancient Egypt, and predate writing and much of what we know about Egyptian spirituality and iconography. As such we really have to make educated guesses.

Can you tell me anything more about the significance of the frog to the Egyptians?

Frogs would appear after the flooding of the Nile, so they became associated with the life-bringing quality of water, and it's role in fertilizing the land. The frog was also one of the hieroglyphic symbols of the goddess Heqet, who was associated with fertility, childbirth, the flooding of the Nile and resurrection.

Can you tell me about the Guennol collection?

The Guennol Collection, assembled by Alastair Martin and his wife, features a number of exceptional objects! Several were acquired by the museum or are on long term loan. The couple began collecting objects in the late 1940s, which they soon began offering to museums. Martin became a trustee of the Brooklyn Museum in 1948 and began lending and donating objects to the museum.

The Collection is rather diverse and features art from ancient Egypt, the ancient Americas, Asian art, and American folk art. Objects from the collection can be found in numerous places around the Museum today.

Figure of a Frog

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Pre-Dynastic, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor

MEDIUM Faience

Possible Place Collected: Abydos, Egypt

DATES ca. 3000–2675 B.C.E.

DYNASTY Dynasty 1 to Dynasty 2 (possibly)

PERIOD Early Dynastic Period

DIMENSIONS 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm) Base: 1 1/2 x 1 5/8 in. (3.8 x 4.1 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

ACCESSION NUMBER L58.2.2

CREDIT LINE Anonymous loan

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Pale green faience statuette of a seated frog, the head looking upward. Roughly triangular base, compact pyramidal form with mouth indicated by curved line and the eyes by circles. Almost no modeling. Condition: Several large firing holes in surface. Glaze worn, major portion of mouth restored.

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Pre-Dynastic, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor

CAPTION Figure of a Frog, ca. 3000–2675 B.C.E. Faience, 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm). Anonymous loan, L58.2.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, L58.2.2_transp5524.jpg)

IMAGE overall, L58.2.2_transp5524.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Why did Egyptians make figures of frogs?

Can you tell me anything more about the significance of the frog to the Egyptians?

Can you tell me about the Guennol collection?