Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Nayarit, ca. 300BCE - 300CE. Richly detailed pendant representing a long-horned toad elaborately carved from lustrous white stone with a beautiful patina. Frogs and toads were associated with rain and the sustenance that it brought about. The ancients of Mesoamerica interpreted their croaking as a sign of coming rainstorms. As "rainmakers" or rain heralders at the very least, these animals were symbols of fertility and rich abundance. Moreover, the life cycle of a toad from egg to fish to four legged animal was a dramatic metamorphosis that the ancients interpreted as a reenactment of the transformations undergone by shamans under the influence of hallucinogenic substances during ritualistic ceremonies. Incredibly symbolic iconography for this piece! Lovely miniature figure at 2-1/2"L

Provenance: Ex-Allen Heflin collection, acquired in the 1950s - remnants of Heflin's labeling on the bottom; Ex Lorenzo Fritz collection

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Excellent condition.