Lot 40

Costa Rican Greenstone Frog Amulet with Shell Inlays

Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 40
image_0 image_1
Costa Rican Greenstone Frog Amulet with Shell Inlays
Costa Rican Greenstone Frog Amulet with Shell Inlays
image_0 image_1

Costa Rican Greenstone Frog Amulet with Shell Inlays

Estimate: $600 - $900

Starting Bid: $300

(0 Bids)
by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, ca. 300–700 CE. A compact amulet carved from mottled green stone in the form of a stylized frog, its splayed limbs flanking a deeply drilled central cavity that anchors the composition. The lapidary has reduced the amphibian to its essentials: a broad head crowned by a pair of suspension perforations, incised diagonal grooves marking the haunches, and rounded flippers that fan outward at the corners. Four small circular sockets, three still set with pale shell inlays and one vacant near the upper suspension holes, animate the surface with flickering accents that would have caught the light against the wearer's skin. The greenstone, prized across lower Central America as a substitute for true jadeite, carries a soft patina of earthen reds where iron-bearing soils have settled into the polished surface. Frogs and toads occupied a potent place in the cosmology of ancient Costa Rica, associated with rain, fertility, and the threshold between water and land, qualities that lent such pendants protective and regenerative power. Worn at the throat or chest, the amulet would have signaled both status and spiritual alliance with the watery domain its subject inhabited. Size: 1.6" W x 1.6" H (4.1 cm W x 4.1 cm H).

Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005

SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).

PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.

Item # 203190

  • Condition: Excellent. Light surface wear. Missing one shell inlay. Otherwise, in excellent overall condition and wearable as a pendant.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 30% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000