Before his role as protector of merchants and travellers, Hermes was a phallic god, associated with fertility, luck, roads and borders. His name comes from the word herma, (Greek: ἕρμα) commonly in English herm.
A herm is a sculpture with a head, and perhaps a torso, above a plain, usually squared lower section, on which male genitals may also be carved at the appropriate height. The form originated in Ancient Greece, was adopted by the Romans, and revived at the Renaissance.
In Ancient Greece these statues or hermai had an apotropaic (warding against evil) function. The hermai were placed at crossings, country borders and boundaries as protection. The Greeks made offerings to the Averting Gods.
A bust of Hermes' head, usually with a beard, sat on the top of the pillar, and male genitals adorned the base.
In Athens, they were placed outside houses as apotropes for good luck. The male genitals would be rubbed or anointed with olive oil to obtain luck.-
My latest project is the creation of two identical busts and genitals of Hermes Propylaios (in front of the doors).The original was created by Greek sculptor Alkamenes around 440–400 BC.
Many hours of beautiful and at the same time very challenging work lie ahead of me until the final realization of two Hermes herms in concrete…
Starting with the clay model:
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