Seated Human Figure with Frog

Date:
unknown
Record:
RBCM EbRj-22:1
Materials:
steatite (soapstone), 15 cm high

This small stone figure, with its finely carved and polished features, is one of the most detailed ancient stone carvings in the Royal BC Museum collection.

The figure is made of a hard form of soapstone called steatite. The arms and legs extend around a bowl with a shallow top. A frog hangs down from the rim of the bowl. The top knot on the head may represent a tied hair bundle. A hole extends through the septum of the nose – possibly for a nose ring. A suspension hole can be seen on the back inside a representation of the spinal column. The figure was most likely used by a ritualist in a special ceremony.

Found on a farm in 1937, near Lytton in the southern Interior of the Province.

This object selected by Grant Keddie. View Profile »