ETRUSCAN BONE MIRROR-HANDLE, 350-300 BCE. MUSEO NAZIONALE DEL BARGELLO
There are two double-tailed mermen or Tritons on this handle. The side we can't see here shows a bearded merman with his tails in a twist. Apart from the beard he also has outspread wings. The side in this image shows a young, beardless merman holding his tails turned upward, crossing in front of him so his right hand holds his left "foot" and so on. Two arms from above seem to be placing a missing circlet on his head. Both these strange, typically Etruscan monsters have their phalli pushed forward by the twisting of their tails, but there's nothing ithyphallic going on. We register their maleness. This mirror handle would be tightly grasped by a woman using the mirror. She had control over these male monsters. Women and seamen don't mix.
An #Etruscan bone mirror handle from 350-300 BCE gives us this two-tailed #merman holding his feet/fins at his sides. Two hands from above once held a diadem onto his head. As for his #phallus, as this is #PhallusThursday, he's in cold water. There is shrinkage. #AncientBluesky πΊ