Tairona Figural Pottery Frog Ocarina tanagra sculptural art such as this

sculptural art such as this was central to religious and judicial life

constructed from a tortoise shell heavily over-modelled with layers of potent organic and mineral materials—mud

which she carried on her back as if it were her own

The Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)

Published by Jorge Welsh Books

Tairona Figural Pottery Frog Ocarina tanagra sculptural art such as thisPre Columbian era, Tairona civilization, c. 1000 1500AD, Gairaca, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Northern Colombia. Mesmerizing, important Tairona ocarina in the form of a naturalistic frog or toad with raised head and bulging applique eyes. In the Pre Columbian world frogs were associated with rain, all the sustenance it ensures, and by extension fertility. Their croaking sound was believed to herald rainstorms. In essence, frogs were thought to be powerful