Originally conceived by Man Ray in 1920, this object was dedicated to Priapus, the Greek god of fertility.
Various replicas were then executed by Man Ray as editions in the 1960s and 1970s in silver, bronze and white marble (such as this one).
The simple elements consisting of three marble spheres and a marble cylinder (with routered top to fit a sphere perfectly) was all that was needed to create the striking image of a phallic divinity.
Engraved with Man Ray's initials and numbered from the edition of 500 (and accompanied by signed photo-certificate - the original was deposited with Maitre Pierre Hebey, in Paris).
[Man Ray said] 'On looking at the photograph of this object people usually asked me the size of the original. More or like yours was my reply'. (Schwarz. 1977, p.159).
[Individual dimensions: spheres - 14cm diameter (each), cylinder - 41cm (high), 14cm diameter].