A Serpent-Toad-Bird Effigy Mesoamerica, possibly Olmec, c. 1200-400 BC Carved from variegated semi-translu...

Description

A Serpent–Toad–Bird Effigy
Mesoamerica, possibly Olmec, c. 1200–400 BC

Carved from variegated semi-translucent blue-green stone, possibly jade or serpentine with a high polish, this intriguing small sculpture fuses three creatures into a single compact form. At first glance, one end reads as a serpent head, the most fully articulated part of the carving, with circular eyes and slit pupils, an open mouth exposing fangs, and a bifurcated tongue carved in low relief and wrapping beneath the lower jaw. Yet the overall mass of the stone is that of a toad, with the back legs clearly defined. At the rear end, the form resolves again into a flat bird head, with a cleft in the forehead, two punctate eyes and the beak curling under in a manner that completes the transformation.

The ambiguity is handled with particular intelligence. On the underside, the scored and radiating lines that define the feet of the toad can also be read as the wings of the bird when the sculpture is turned. Rather than presenting one fixed identity, the carving shifts from serpent to frog to bird according to the angle of view, a quality that strongly suggests a talismanic or shamanic intention. Small enough to be handled closely, yet unusually large for a purely personal charm, it has the concentrated force of an object meant to mediate between natural and supernatural realms. A highly imaginative and uncommon work, notable for its fluid transformations and the beauty of its stone.

In very good condition; brown veining and a pale mineral vein across the back has weathered open to a narrow surface fissure.

Length: 4 ½ inches

Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000.

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