A Celtic-Roman Votive Offering (Art no.3) by sandra46

Photography • Photo Manipulation • posted on Jul 06, 2010

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Description

Votive offerings showing different parts of the body to offer to a god in the hope to prevail on him into bestowing his or her health powers on the offerer's body part (eyes, legs, arms, genitalia,etc.) to heal, are common all over the Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman world. They were often tossed into holy wells or springs. Penises were used, often with wings, as amulets or reproduced as offerings to the health gods. They were mass-produced, according to the different segments of the market, from those in clay, cheap and easily accessible to all, but cursorily manufactured, to those for the well-offs, carefully executed in bronze, like this one in the Gallo-Roman Museum in Lyon, France. Penis amulets and bas reliefs were fairly common in the late Roman era, especially in the outlying regions of the Empire. Normally in votive offerings depicting the male genitals the penis is flacid, whereas erect phalluses regularly occur in representations having the power to prevent evil or bad luck, like charms. A votive erect phallus, however, was also a good votive offering in a sanctuary dedicated to Eros and Aphrodite. The penis from the Gallo-Roman Lyon, at the time the capital city of Gaul as well as the birthplace of two emperors, sported important sanctuaries to Gallo-Roman gods. One of the most worshiped was the Sun god Apollo, whose names as the god of health mean The Healer, The Physician, and also The Restrainer or Averter of Evil. Apollo Belenus (bright or brilliant)was the name given to Apollo in parts of Gaul, North Italy and Noricum (part of modern Austria). Apollo Belenus was a healing and sun god, and with similar names he was known all over the Celtic-Roman world. What is interesting in this bronze representation is that an item, which was manufactured in series with a mold, albeit for the upper echelon of the market, and whose fate was to disappear in a well or in a grave (to bring luck in the Underworld), has become an object of art. In fact, in the museum it's shown alone in a glasscase, as if it was a unique object. The relative rarity and the age of the object has transformed it from an object of consumption to be ritually lost, into an artistic creation to be preserved and consumed by the visitor's eyes. For those who may be interested, I sent this image to the RR staff in advance and approved because, being a 'statue', is allowed by the TOS. Thank you for your kind comments.

Comments (40)

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flora-crassella

10:48AM | Tue, 06 July 2010

a wonderful work of art!!!!

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Kaartijer

10:53AM | Tue, 06 July 2010

Interesting work on this one!

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durleybeachbum

11:02AM | Tue, 06 July 2010

FASCINATING!!

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alessimarco

11:04AM | Tue, 06 July 2010

Great presentation and historical background! The Romans, for one culture, were certainly not shy about anotomical representations in art and jewelry.

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jayfar

11:11AM | Tue, 06 July 2010

I am glad you asked RR about this one and didn't go off half cocked!! Lol.

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claude19

11:14AM | Tue, 06 July 2010

Enlightening comments on the use of the representation of male genitalia as Exvoto!

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mgtcs

11:32AM | Tue, 06 July 2010

Very interesting conception here my dear friend, fantastic image image, really a marvelous work!*****

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lyron

11:45AM | Tue, 06 July 2010

Fantastic composition!!!

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dochtersions

11:57AM | Tue, 06 July 2010

How very special, Sandra!

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magnus073

12:15PM | Tue, 06 July 2010

Marco said it best as you do such a superb job on your presentation Sandra. This one is amazing and thank you for taking the time to put this fascinating background information together for us.

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