So-Called "Hermaphrodite Venus"

The so-called "Hermaphrodite Venus".

The Hermaphrodite, is a flattened female figurine missing the head and lower limbs from the knee down. The flat breasts are divided from each other by an evident groove, the circular belly is slightly protruding and occupies an anomalous position, at the height of the stomach. Under the belly there are three reliefs that are difficult to interpret, i.e. two elongated masses probably representing the hands and in the center an element interpreted as a phallus, which is why Edouard Piette gave the name of Hermaphrodite; a recent interpretation instead attributes this detail to the moment of childbirth, the element in the center would be the head of a child that emerges while the engraved lines would represent the hair.

Plaster cast of original in steatite (Musee de St. Germain # 49280).