Roman Priapus Statuette

2nd century AD. A bronze statuette of Priapus wearing a long sleeved tunic, holding the robe at the corners, exposing his exaggerated genitalia and an offering of flowers, standing on a round pedestal base, wearing Greek type (crepidae), finely-detailed head with the hairstyle and beard of a Greek philosopher. Cf. for a similar statuette in the collection of the Paul Getty Museum, inventory n. 73.AB.21; see Dunleavy C. A.,The Image of Priapus: Ambiguity and Masculinity in Roman Visual Culture, Bristol, 2018. 100 grams, 90mm (3 1/2"). Property of a Surrey collector; acquired in the early 1970s. The most common representations of Priapus date from the Hellenistic period, showing him standing, with a short beard to the chin, wearing either a long, feminine garment, or a long-sleeved tunic reminiscent of Eastern dress. His garment was typically shown gathered up in the front, used to hold an abundance of fruit and flowers, and revealing his characteristic oversized phallus.
Condition Report: Very fine condition.