Suriname Toad (Pipa pipa), Shells and Flowering Plant, 1705-1771
Etching and engraving, hand-coloredexpand_more
The Minnich Collection The Ethel Morrison Van DerLip Fund, 1966expand_more P.18,727
Not on Viewexpand_more
This print represents the remarkable reproductive cycle of the Suriname toad. The female toads carry their fertilized eggs on their backs, growing skin to protect their eggs during gestation, as they develop into tadpoles and small toads. Merian was one of the earliest naturalists to investigate the metamorphosis of amphibians. She found the Surname toad to be particularly fascinating, writing that when she observed the young crawling out of the mother's back, "I threw the female and her young into brandy" to preserve the specimens. She also recorded, "These toads are eaten by the natives, who consider them to be a good dish." Two shells are shown at the bottom; one clearly contains a hermit crab. "I had these shells brought up from the bottom of the sea in order to see what kind of creatures live in them…I pulled a number out with force and established they were a variety of crab," said the curious Merian. The aquatic plant is Sesuvium portulacastrum (Linnaeus), which she observed was "used as a kind of spinach or in a salad."
Details
- Title
- Suriname Toad (Pipa pipa), Shells and Flowering Plant
- Artist Life
- 1647-1717
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.18,727
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Nissen: 1342; Cat. Ger. Nat'l Museum, 1967
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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