Exhibitionist figure

The National Monuments Service's description

This male exhibitionist figure, first recorded as a ‘carved head’ in 2004 (Halpin et al. 2004, 20), is located on the upper SE corner of a medieval church (GA055-027002-), which occupies the E half of an ecclesiastical enclosure (GA055-027001-). The figure bears a large head with furrowed brow, large eyes, small ears. Its tongue protrudes down over the lower lip of its open mouth. Beneath the head, on the lower part of the stone, two limbs extending back along it, bend at joints and then extend to the outer edge of the stone. The limbs may represent arms or legs and they terminate in rounded hands or feet. A phallus between the limbs extends to the chin on the head where it meets the protruding tongue. There is some damage at this part of the stone as well as to the right hand/foot (information from G. Dempsey and Dr C. Cunniffe received 26 June 2020).

See https://skfb.ly/6Tz7D for a 3D model of the figure created by Digital Heritage Age. The attached images were provided by G. Dempsey.

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 18 September 2020

References

Halpin, S., Kretsch, C., Keely, B., Ó Monacháin, C. and Moore, D. 2004 Archaeological, ecological & structural survey of Cargin Church, county Galway on behalf of Cargin Cemetery Committee. Moore Archaeological & Environmental Services Ltd. Report available at: http://homepage.eircom.net/~cargincemetery/report.pdf last accessed 18 September 2020.