Public domain
Pendant in the shape of a toad
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Around 1600, crawly creatures also found their way into fashion: dresses with embroidered butterflies, bags in the shape of a frog, and jewels featuring a lizard. The shape of the baroque pearl probably provided the inspiration for this toad. However, there was another connection. Baroque pearls were considered examples of inventive nature creating something beautiful out of non-living matter. Moreover, toads were thought to develop from non-living matter (spontaneous generation).
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionCredit lineHanger in de vorm van een pad. c. 1600 - c. 1620. anonymous. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Public domain.
