A ROMAN AGATE PHALLUS PENDANT CIRCA 1ST–3RD CENTURY A.D.

拍品描述

A ROMAN AGATE PHALLUS PENDANTCIRCA 1ST–3RD CENTURY A.D.Carved from a single piece of banded agate, this Roman pendant takes the form of a stylised phallus, modelled with smooth, rounded volumes and an emphatically sculptural silhouette. The surface is highly polished, allowing the natural colour zoning of the stone to become a central decorative feature: warm reddish-brown and honey tones are interrupted by darker, almost ink-like inclusions, creating a mottled pattern that shifts subtly across the form.The carving is compact yet bold, with carefully defined transitions between the shaft and rounded terminal, and a small suspension perforation near the upper end indicating its function as a wearable amulet. The pendant’s tactile finish suggests it was intended to be handled as well as displayed, its sheen and mineral translucency reinforcing the object’s visual potency.Phallic amulets were among the most widespread protective symbols in Roman daily life, associated not with obscenity but with apotropaic power—intended to ward off the evil eye, misfortune, and envy. Worn on the body or hung in domestic spaces, such objects embodied a belief in the protective force of fertility imagery and the aggressive “counter-gaze” of the phallus, a motif deeply embedded in Roman popular religion. Carved gemstone examples such as this one represent a more refined expression of the type, combining talismanic function with the prestige of semi-precious material.Length: 6.5 cm

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