Rare phallic ceramic stylus found in Sicily – History

A rare, beautifully decorated bone ceramic stylus from the 5th century BC was discovered in the ancient ruins of Gela in Sicily. The stylus is intact and has a rectangular handle carved with a miniature homme: a bearded man’s head at the top and an erect penis in the center.

The stylus was unearthed in the Orto Fontanelle Prevention Area in Gela. It is 5.2 inches (13.2 cm) long and carved from bone. Judging from its size and design, it was a stylus used by potters to draw and write inscriptions on unfired clay surfaces, but its exquisite decoration, both the hilt on the handle and the deep circular grooves carved around its diameter, make it a unique example.

Excavation director Gianluca Calà emphasized the object’s delicacy and rarity, noting that there are no known direct comparisons to date. He explains that while the primary function of a stylus with these characteristics was to draw patterns or inscriptions on the clay surface before firing, the delicate decoration and the inherent fragility of the bone suggest that it may have had a purpose beyond purely utilitarianism.

Kara uses a contemporary metaphor to illustrate its possible nature: it could be an object owned and displayed for its intrinsic value, similar to a high-end pen sitting on a desk, as a symbol of status or devotion rather than as an everyday tool. This explanation is consistent with the hypothesis put forward by Superintendent Daniela Vullo, who believes that the stylus may have been considered an offering to the gods, possibly related to the protection of the studio, artistic inspiration, or creativity.

Helms were square columns with a head, or sometimes a bust, above a plain quadrangular section, with the male genitals positioned around the correct position on the column, that is, where they were on the body. Originating from ancient Greece, they were believed to have apotropaic powers and could ward off bad luck, curses, injury or disease. The columns were originally placed at boundaries such as entrances, doorways and crossroads, and were topped initially with heads representing bearded Hermes and later with other gods from the Greek pantheon.

The Heritage’s statement on the discovery proposed that the god Herm represented on the stylus was Dionysus, but their reasoning was not fully explained. There are no grape leaves in his hair and no headband on his forehead, which is typical of Hermes of Dionysus. To me, it looks like a classic Hermès, with a square beard, a tiara, and a serious expression.

Furthermore, although phallus and phallic symbols were used in Dionysian festivals, Hermes was a phallic god of good luck, fertility, and protection of boundaries, and the phallus personified this role. He was often depicted with an oversized penis, and the earliest Hermes in Athens from the 6th century BC were sometimes carved with the penis alone, as well as columns with a bearded bust of Hermes at the top and an erect penis at the base.

The stylus is currently under conservation. Once completed, it will be displayed in a museum in Gela.