The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Carnelian, a faintly translucent, red stone, carved to resemble a frog. It sits, legs curled under its body with the circles of eyes the only details. Light glints off of the stone.

Frog Amulet

c. 1540–1296 BCE

Egypt, New Kingdom , Dynasty 18

(1540–1069 BCE)
carnelian
Overall: 0.9 x 0.9 cm (3/8 x 3/8 in.)
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1914.570
Location: 107 Egyptian

Description

The frog, because of its numerous offspring, was a symbol of fertility. In fact, the hieroglyphic sign for 100,000 was a tadpole. Frog amulets were very popular both in semiprecious stone and in faience, and were worn by women hoping for an easy delivery. Both sexes wore the frog in expectation of a successful rebirth in the afterlife.
  • Purchased in Egypt by Lucy Olcott Perkins through Henry W. Kent
  • Cooney, John D. “Intaglios, Cameos, and Related Works.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 55, no. 4 (April 1968): 113–119. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 118-119, fig. 9 www.jstor.org
    Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999 Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 512
  • {{cite web|title=Frog Amulet|url=false|author=|year=c. 1540–1296 BCE|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1914.570