Fertility figure resembling Dorset giant goes on sale at auction

A metal detectorist who unearthed a Celtic fertility figure which has a body part with a striking resemblance to the Cerne Abbas Giant is to sell it at auction.

Retired lorry driver Bob Jemmett found the bronze figure, which measures 37mm by 10mm, in a ploughed field in Little Chishill, Cambridgeshire.

The 75-year-old, of Manningtree, Essex, was at an organised rally when he made the discovery in September 2018.

He kept the figure, which he nicknamed 'Nobby', for years but has decided to sell after a recent burglary.

It has a pre-auction estimate of up to £1,500.

Recalling the day he found the figure, which is estimated to date from the first century BC, Mr Jemmett said: “The weather was appalling with the rain lashing down, but I persevered and received a lovely signal from my Minelab 3030 detector.

“Digging down four inches, I uncovered a small, bronze, nude, male figure, which featured a prominent erection similar to the Cerne Abbas Giant, that is carved into a hill in Dorset.

“The figure was identified as a Celtic fertility figure and published on the Portable Antiquities website and subsequently used as a logo by the rally organisers in their promotions.

“As a result, detectorists from all over Europe at rallies would ask me if they could see Nobby who I always keep in my pocket as a constant companion.”

The figure will be part of a sale of ancient coins and antiquities at Noonans Mayfair on Thursday June 20 from 10am.