Thitikorn Chansasitorn
tchansasitorn@zagmail.gonzaga.edu
"Flying Frog Headpiece"
Tsimshian carving, "Flying Frog Headpiece," made of wood, dating to the mid-19th century. (National Museums of Canada)
The Flying Frog Headpiece is a mid-19th century Tsimshian wood carving that symbolizes the metamorphosis between beings of the land, sea, and sky. According to Tsimshian mythology, flying frogs came out of a lake two years after the disappearance of the ancestress of a frog clan. Following this, the ancestress was seen floating on the water and covered in frogs. Since then, the symbolism of frog has been significant. Frogs are considered supernatural beings that can inhabit both the human and spirit worlds. They are also known as communicators between mother earth and man. Frogs symbolize abundance and wealth, wisdom, renewal, season-change, and persistence; hence, frogs are often carved at the top of totem poles to symbolize the communication of warnings or impending danger.
(Sources: Flying Frog)