Far East, China, Han Dynasty, ca. 206 BCE to 220 CE. A large green jade prosthetic phallus (dildo), well-carved, with incised lines forming the head and testes. A perforation drilled through the base would have allowed the item to be held with a string. Items like this one have an obvious use and are known from very early times in Chinese history. The Chinese court from the 8th century BCE onward, if not earlier, allowed only male eunuchs to serve in order to prevent the emperor's wives from bearing children by anyone but him. However, with many wives and only one emperor, the women in the emperor's retinue would certainly have partaken of an item like this, perhaps with the aid of a eunuch or each other. Size: 9" L x 1.95" W x 1.1" H (22.9 cm x 5 cm x 2.8 cm)

Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection

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#122690

Surface wear with encrustation in the lower profile areas.