In the fourth millennia BCE (Before the Common Era), the male nude appeared in Egyptian art in the early Dynastic periods. Initially these depictions were of peasants going about common tasks. Their nude status merely indicated their low status as common Egyptians often did not clothe themselves.
Because clothing showed status, the gods were almost always displayed with beautiful robes, necklaces and intricate head gear. An exception is the god Min who portrayed the powerful male reproductive power evident in the universe. Min is almost always depicted with an erect phallos, as here.
These people practiced male circumcision, the removal of foreskin from penises. This practice apparently was wide-spread in what is now known as the Middle East. It may have begun as a substitute for human sacrifice, the substitution of a part of the body to be sacrifice rather the entirety of a living person. We offer reproductions of the artwork below in our online store.
|
