Roman Yellow Glass Pendant with Frog

£ 175.00

A fine Late Roman glass pendant, featuring a circular shape and a thick suspension loop to the top. The front of the pendant depicts a frog moulded in relief, facing upwards and with widely spread legs. The reverse is flat and unworked.

Date: Circa 4th-6th century AD
Condition: Fine condition with a minor chip to one side. Slight encrustations and clay residue to the surface.

SOLD

SKU: CY-224 Category: Tags: ,

Such glass pendants would have been worn by Romans as good fortune charms to bring good luck and ward off the evil. Iconographies were extremely differentiated, including apotropaic symbols, images of deities and animals. The Romans associated frogs with fertility and harmony, as well as connecting them with Venus and licentiousness. Frogs were also important characters in the fables of Aesop and Phaedrus.

For more information about the meanings of animals in Roman art, see our relevant blog post: Animal Symbolism in Roman Art.

Weight 1.45 g
Dimensions L 2.1 x W 1.5 cm
Culture

Glass

Region