A Roman Yellow Jasper Intaglio of Apollo, Roman Imperial Period, ca 1st - 2nd century CE Medium - Wood Priapus was a fertility god

Priapus was a  fertility god

The Holmes à Court Collection

Many of the objects from this collection still retain the original numbers from this catalog

with arms neatly folded

and mounted on a wooden stretcher

A Roman Yellow Jasper Intaglio of Apollo, Roman Imperial Period, ca 1st - 2nd century CE Medium - Wood Priapus was a fertility godThis yellow jasper intaglio presents a confident and elegantly composed image of Apollo. Shown in profile, the god wears a radiate headdress, a feature that became increasingly prominent in the Imperial period as his solar and cosmic associations grew. His cloak is gathered around the lower body, leaving the upper torso bare in a manner typical of early Roman glyptic. An altar stands behind him, placing the scene within a ritual setting rather than a