No Speed Bumps

Luciano and the Semiotics of the Ankh

Now the important thing about this photograph, though you may not suspect it (mole!), is not Luciano, or the inset of his loooooong forskin (bet you missed that!):


but the 'ankh' (Egyptian symbol of life, top right corner):



The 'ankh' can have the general mean of the giving of life from the gods, as shown in this tomb painting of 'Nefertari receiving life from Isis':


And used in the context of linking the gods with the pharaoh, as in this sculpted stone Osiris Pillar of the Pharoah Senusret I from the 12th Dynasty:


So what are the secret semiotics of the 'ankh' in porn photos? As Taylor Ray Ellison ('The Ancient Ankh, Symbol of Life') makes some observations:

' ... guides in Egypt today like to tell tourists that the circle at the top represents the female sexual organ, while the stump at the bottom the male organ and the crossed line, the children of the union. However, while this interpretation may have a long tradition, there is no scholarly research that would suggest such an exact meaning.'

Now, I prefer to believe the guides. Don't you? Which brings us back to Luciano.

Let me re-interpret the photographs for you in the light of this glyphic revelation.

'This kind of ankh is for serious observation and scrutiny'

'This kind for closer observation and scrutiny ... while abusing yourself'

'and this ... while blowing your load on the floor'

'This kind of ankh you should put in your mouth'

'This is where you can put your own ankh'

'This is just a gratuitous ankh photo' !

Taylor Ray Ellison makes a nice final point about the ankh:

' ... the ankh sign in ancient Egypt seems to have transcended illiteracy, being comprehensible to even those who could not read. Hence, we even find it as a craftsman's mark on pottery vessels.'