Identities in Marble

Title: Statuette of a Hermaphrodite

Year: 199-100 BCE
Material: Carved Marble (Stone)
Creator: Unknown
Collection: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Marble nudes rarely captivate me. Entering the Rome Gallery, however, a small stone figure with a flipped-up skirt caught my eye. Here was Hermaphroditus, the deity of unions, androgyny, marriage, sexuality, and fertility, in all his glory. Or was it her glory?

Presented in a narrative museum voice, the accompanying text explains that Hermaphroditus was the son of the gods Hermes and Aphrodite, after whom he was named. Attracting a nymph admirer, who prayed for her body to be joined to his, Hermaphroditus became a hybrid human with both female and male characteristics. Among the many sculptural depictions of Hermaphroditus, the Louvre's Sleeping Hermaphroditus may be the most well-known.

Sleeping Hermaphroditus, The Louvre, Paris

While I am uncertain of how this item was acquired, among the 30,000+ items within the museum’s Mediterranean collection, many objects were acquired through Individual purchases or gifts, or through collections that were deeded to the institution. As a sculptural representation of a Greek Deity, this object is important to art historians, scholars and students of religion and Classics and anyone with a curiosity about ancient civilizations. It might also appeal to individuals with an interest in gender and sexual identity, like me.

It seems appropriate that this classical Roman stone sculpture object would be on display in the Rome Gallery among other marble sculptures that represent this period and culture. While most marble heads, bodies and busts appear static; this sculpture seems to be captured in motion. What’s more, this movement, the flipping up of dress, reveals something personal (and potentially controversial) about the object’s sexual identity: its genitals. Presented in a small glass case on a pedestal, this statue of a deity pairs nicely with an adjacent panel and coin collection about Deified Virtues. During the development of the Roman Republic, the introductory text summarizes, “a series of abstract, socially positive qualities were elevated into state-sponsored cults and provided with temples. Some had affinities with pre-existent Greek cults, while others were tied to purely local circumstances and events.” Libertas, for instance, is the personification of Liberty, and is presented on a coin as the silhouette of a woman with jewels in her hair. 

Libertas

It’s interesting to consider what iconography might be used to depict  a modern-day Libertas...Firearms? The Starbucks logo? An iphone?

While our country is slowly getting itself together in terms of certain liberties, (Over 64% of Americans will soon reside in a state where same-sex couples have the freedom to marry), and sexual identity, rarely is intersex part of the public discourse. There is a spectrum of sex types beyond common definitions of “female” and “male,” and about 1 in 2000 babies are born intersex. The term “true hermaphrodite” refers to an individual who is born with both ovarian and testicular tissue, regardless of if and how this tissue functions physiologically. This describes some intersexed individuals, but others may not have any external indications. I’m not an expert, but its related to the wide possibilities 

of chromosomal make-ups. What I do know, is because of their “otherness,” people born with anatomy that does meet a culture’s normative of “male” and “female” can face a lot of hardship. And that’s not okay.

Wow, who would've thought that a small marble sculpture could incite this energy and engagement? This is probably a good time to note that this object may not be appropriate for school groups. While young people could and should be included in challenging conversations, during a museum tour with a bunch of their peers may not be the time and place (and could upset a lot of parents). In fact, I learned that the museum's Director of Education made sure that the sculpture be positioned within the gallery in a way that would allow for it to be easily bypassed by school tour groups.

Adherents of strict gender and sexuality norms would also not be interested in this object, although I wouldn't mind engaging them in a healthy debate. Opposing views might argue that the character in this statue was formed out of an ancient myth and does not and should not have any relevance to modern life. Or, one might argue that intersexuality is somehow unnatural and immoral;this sculpture represents how sexual deviancy was an underlying cause for the fall of ancient empires.

More Info

One could further explore this object through the lense of history, mythology, or classical sculpture, but I'd personally take a different approach.  In Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex, author Alice Dreger discusses how the term “true hermaphrodite” was used derogatorily during Victorian times in attempts to make intersexuality disappear. Another book, Bodies in Doubt: An American History of Intersex by Elizabeth Reis might be another good place to learn more about sexuality and medical ethics. The Intersex Society of North America is another great resource. 

Seeing that the museum already actively engages Penn students and faculty, I might create a program that caters to courses offered within the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies department. Students would learn about intersexuality through pre-visit readings and class discussions. During a museum visit, students would be led through inquiry-based activity focused on the sculpture and other objects in the collection (I’m sure there are many) that are atypical depictions or ideas about gender and sexuality.

I am hopeful that someday  intersexuality will be better understood and embraced by our culture. Until then, Hermaphroditus can serve to inspire thoughtful dialogue about the issue, just by hiking up his skirt.