The exotic and banal

Book review of Pha(bu)llus: A Cultural History

Ancient cultures have been consumed by the idea of fertility. In the mythologies that they spun, the rituals and practices they adopted and the gods they created, birth, regeneration and creation have been dominant themes. These themes have also influenced literature, art and sculpture, and the image and iconography around the objects and places of worship.

For instance, mother goddesses are, in many cultures, depicted as many-breasted, large hipped personages to mark their child-bearing capabilities. Be it the Greek goddess Aphrodite or her Roman counterpart Venus, the two are often painted nude and rising from the foam of the sea, or