Bawdy Phallic Plate Heads for Oxford -

Yahoo News ^ | September 18, 2003

[UnklGene]

Bawdy Phallic Plate Heads for Oxford Thu Sep 18, 8:55 AM ET Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - A leading British museum has paid $387,000 for a Renaissance plate which shows a male head made up entirely of phalluses.

The Italian plate is thought to have been made by ceramicist Francesco Urbini in the 16th century.

It shows a head made up of around 50 fleshy penises, wrapped round each other to form a dense, knotted whole.

The head is framed by a garland carrying the inscription: "Ogni homo me guarda come fosse una testa de cazi" (Every man looks at me as if I were a dickhead).

The phrase is still a common term of abuse in Italy and elsewhere.

Oxford's Ashmolean Museum, which has bought the plate, describes it as "one of the most extraordinary and fascinating pieces of Italian maiolica (a style of ceramic painting) in existence."

It is a rare example of bawdy Renaissance art which survived the suppression of later, more prudish, generations, it said.

The Ashmolean said the inspiration for the plate remains obscure but it was painted "presumably with an individual in mind."

[AntiGuv]

Bawdy Plate Photo

[Servant of the 9]

No wonder Oxford wanted it, it's Billy Jeff Clinton.

So9

[Leroy S. Mort]

Thanks for the tagline.

[Gwaihir]

I'll make a matching mug for substantially less. The handle should be easy!

[fourdeuce82d]

What a bunch of D*** heads.

[tubebender]

I thought Carville was moving to England...

[John Beresford Tipton]

"a head made up of around 50 fleshy penises,
wrapped round each other"

What a dick-head!

[exit82]

At first, I thought this was an "onion" piece.

All I can say is, it took balls to make this plate.

[jocon307]

"At first, I thought this was an "onion" piece."

LOL, life imitates the onion! it certainly is an amazing "piece"!

One should really copy the latin phrase used on the plate, it would make a fine t-shirt for an annoying brother-in-law, hubby, boss, etc. Just make sure they will have no clue as to what it says!