Amethyst Frog Pendant

A carved amethyst frog mounted on a rounded silver backing makes this pendant one of Spratling's overtly figural jewels, the stone itself shaped into the animal rather than merely set. Four silver prongs hold the frog against its rectangular ground, while six circular indentations worked into the frog's back distinguish it from the carved frogs used on a related bracelet.

The carved-stone animal connects to Spratling's lasting interest in Mexican fauna and Pre-Columbian subject matter, here realized as a small sculpture in amethyst. The indentations on the back are a specific carving detail that sets this frog apart within the group, a sign of the variation Spratling allowed across pieces sharing a motif.

The prong setting leaves the stone frog dominant, the silver reduced to backing and mount so the carved amethyst reads as the whole jewel. As a figural amethyst pendant it belongs to the more sculptural and inventive end of his jewelry, and carved-stone pieces of this kind are encountered only occasionally.