165 - Triple phallus; Rome, 1st–2nd centuries.

Triple phallus; Rome, 1st–2nd centuries. Bronze. Measurements: 4.5 x 6 cm; 8 cm with base. Provenance: Family legacy of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Archaeological collection formed from the 1950s by successive generations of the family, through acquisitions in European galleries and auction houses. Roman bronze pendant amulet in the shape of a triple phallus; the one on the right is topped by a clenched fist, a symbol of protection. It is likely a representation of the god Priapus, a minor rustic deity of fertility—both of vegetation and animals—and a purely phallic figure. He was typically depicted as an enormous phallus in perpetual erection, a symbol of nature’s fertilizing power. In addition to ensuring the fertility of the fields, Priapus—or his representation as a phallus in the form of an amulet—warded off the evil eye and protected against thieves.