Masami Teraoka (b. 1936)
Untitled
United States, 1966-early 1970s
Sculpture; lacquer on fiberglass resin
Courtesy of the artist and Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco
(L2014-49.01)

Drawing from modern science, the artist offers an abstract yet rather anatomically accurate representation of a sperm cell. Like the sculpture Male and Female Form, on display nearby, this untitled work bears some similarities to the large-scale wooden phalluses (dankon) that have been displayed at annual Harvest Festivals in Japan for centuries. Ironically, the artist only learned about such ceremonies years after completing this work.