When jewels told stories
Jewelry wasn't always mere ornaments. In Galicia, for centuries, it was also amulets, symbols of protection, faith, and power . One of the most unique pieces of this tradition is the toad , an ornamental pendant worn by women on their chests, which today forms part of the most fascinating imagery of Galician culture.
At the Museo do Pobo Galego in Santiago de Compostela, several examples of sapos maiores are preserved, testimonies of rural, popular goldsmithing , linked to the religiosity and magical beliefs of our land. In Curruchela, this legacy inspires us to look back with respect... and forward with creativity.
What is a toad and why was it shaped like a frog?
The Galician toad is a large piece of jewelry, composed of circular pieces and pendant elements, often in the shape of a star, cross, or medal. But the popular name refers to its general shape, which resembles a frog—not so much due to a figurative representation, but rather due to its visual arrangement: low, rounded, with movable "legs."
Worn on the chest, the toad wasn't just decorative. It carried a symbolic and protective meaning , inherited from ancient beliefs. In a land where " there are always some " still resonates strongly, the ornaments also served to ward off the evil eye, protect from the wind, or attract good luck .
Faith and superstition: Galician popular religiosity
In Galicia, the line between the religious and the magical has always been blurred. Toads were displayed on pilgrimages and in religious celebrations, but they were also used as amulets against envy or illness . Women wore crosses, reliquaries, scapulars, and toads .
This blend of beliefs reflects a syncretic spirituality , where Christian devotion coexists with ancient rituals passed down through oral tradition. It's no coincidence that traditional jewelry draws on elements of the countryside, the sky, the body, and the soul.
Witches, wise, strong women
The wearers of these jewels were often women with symbolic power in their communities. The use of large, visible, and even heavy jewelry spoke of status, fertility, protection , and knowledge.
The figure of the meiga —that rural sage, half healer, half witch—is intimately linked to this universe. Meigas knew how to read signs, prepare ointments, "dart cards," and transmit knowledge. They also understood the magical power of objects.
Jewelry was part of that knowledge. Chosen with intention, passed down through generations. In rural Galicia, women wore their stories, and the toad was one of their most powerful tales.
Clothing and jewelry: wealth on the breastplate
Traditional Galician formal attire—especially in the 18th and 19th centuries—included dark bodices, linen shirts, and ornately jeweled breastplates . Jet necklaces, gold chains, lockets, and sapos maiores (big sapos) hung in cascades.
This visual overload was no coincidence: it displayed status, lineage, and social respect . In a context where women managed the domestic economy, jewelry was also a portable asset . It represented savings, a dowry, and a patrimony.
In some areas, the number of pieces or the shape of the toad could even identify the woman's region of origin . Each piece was a map, a signature, a memory.
Curruchela: a contemporary reinterpretation
At Curruchela, we don't make replicas. We create living tributes . Our wooden jewelry draws on this symbolic heritage, on Galician spirituality, on the slow gesture of someone who carves with their hands. Each piece is conceived as a connection between the ancestral and the present.
We are inspired by the round shapes of toads, their central strength, their way of occupying space. We are inspired by the strong and magical Galician woman who turned the jewel into a shield, a prayer, and a testimony.
From the showcase to the body
Visiting the Museo do Pobo Galego is like stepping back in time to a time when jewelry spoke. At Curruchela, we want to recover that language. The pieces we create don't just adorn; they tell stories. They speak of the land, of beliefs, of history. Of women who knew.
Because in Galicia, even today, we still hear things that we don't see.
And there are jewels that protect, even if they don't shine.
Because there are... there are.
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