Near East/Holy Land, Palmyra, Roman period, ca. 1st century CE. A fascinating limestone figure, depicting a nude human with an upturned face, what look like female breasts, male testes, and a round perforation where the phallus would be. The figure may represent Hermaphroditus, the child of Hermes and Aphrodite, a handsome youth known for developing both male and female characteristics after being embraced by the nymph Salmacis. This figure was a popular one in sculpture during the Hellenistic and pre-Christian Roman periods, and was often depicted nude. This figure's face is instantly recognizable as being from the carving tradition at Palmyra, with large, staring eyes deeply set within projecting eyelids. The nose, mouth, and browline are naturalistic, while the hair flows backward in stylized waves. The figure's body is slightly rotund, standing on shapely thighs. Size: 9.5" W x 21" H (24.1 cm x 53.3 cm); 24" H (61 cm) on included custom stand.

Unlike much known Palmyran statuary, this example is not richly dressed or given any accessories (although the arms are missing, many of these that had accessories held them in front of their bodies, so they would still be present on this figure). Instead, it seems to represent an idealized figure rather than an actual individual. Where might this statue have been placed? Hermaphrodite sculptures are known from multiple baths, as, for example, at the Baths at Geresa in the Roman Near East (near modern Jerash, Jordan), where many sculptures depicting local and regional governors as well as mythological figures were displayed in the basilica hall. Perhaps this statue once graced a similar public space.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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Wear on surface commensurate with age, including surface chipping and scratching. Small losses from hair and nose. One stable, hairline crack along one of the shoulders. Arms and lower legs are ancient losses or may never have been present.