Description :

A charming and finely crafted mixed‑metal sculpture by Wah Chang, titled “Tree Frog.” The piece features a small, expressive frog rendered in cast metal, perched midway up a tall, slender leaf. The surrounding leaves are shaped in a naturalistic arc and finished with a soft green patina, creating a graceful vertical composition. The entire vignette is mounted on a polished agate slice, a signature presentation choice in Chang’s late‑life sculpture work.

About Wah Chang (1917–2003)

American designer, sculptor, and artist known for both Hollywood special‑effects work and a substantial catalog of bronze and mixed‑media wildlife sculptures.

 His Sculpture Work

Although Chang is famous for designing the tricorder, communicator, Gorn costume, and other props for Star Trek, he spent the later decades of his life producing limited‑edition bronze and mixed‑material sculptures, often mounted on agate or stone bases — exactly like your frog. Examples documented in auction records include:

• Bronze otter on agate (1974)

• Polar bear with cubs on agate (1975)

• Deer, pelicans, and other wildlife bronzes These appear in MutualArt’s catalog of 30+ sold and listed works.

Your frog sculpture — metal figure, patinated leaves, mounted on an agate slice — is stylistically consistent with this period.

 Early Life & Training

• Began exhibiting art at age seven, encouraged by artist James Blanding Sloan.

• Trained in etching, drawing, and sculpture from childhood.

• Grew up in a San Francisco artistic community centered around his family’s Ho‑Ho Tea Room.

Hollywood Career (Context for Collectors)

Before focusing on sculpture, Chang worked with Disney, George Pal, and major studios on:

• Pinocchio

• The Time Machine

• Planet of the Apes

• Star Trek (iconic props and creature designs) His Hollywood legacy often increases collector interest in his later sculpture work.

base is 5" across

10" tall