We’re flying home today from Portland, where we’ve been hanging out for several days.

Yesterday took us to the fine Portland Art Museum, where we enjoyed wandering through varied galleries.

Here’s one piece that caught my eye.

On display at the Portland Art Museum

I was intrigued by the frog. It turns out frogs are an important symbol in native art and mythology of the region.

Here’s a good description found online:

Frog is a creature of great importance in Northwest Coast art and culture. As a creature that lives in two worlds, water and land, Frog is revered for his adaptability, knowledge and power to traverse worlds and inhabit both natural and supernatural realms. Frogs are primary spirit helpers of shamans. A great communicator, Frog often represents the common ground or voice of the people. Frog’s songs are believed to contain divine power and magic. When shown in art as touching or sharing his tongue with another creature, Frog represents an exchange of knowledge and power. Frog designs are commonly used as decorative elements, so that Frog faces, for example, peek out from another creature’s ears, mouth or hands. In symbolic terms the emergence of frog from these orifices may represent an eruption of magic and unseen interior and other worlds.

Frog is often associated with copper and great wealth. Legendary Haida princes are said to have attended feasts wearing necklace chains made of living Frogs. The Haida carved Frog on house pole to prevent them from falling over. They also included them in many other carvings, from feast bowls to totem poles. Frogs on Haida Gwaii, B.C.’S Queen Charlotte Islands, are actually northern toads. One Haida name for Frog (toad) is “crab of the woods”.

Very interesting character, the frog. And that big tongue in the carving was meant to show “an exchange of knowledge and power.”

In any case, it’s good to be on the way home.