A Large Vulva-Shaped Art Installation Travels Through European Cities
Title: Reclaiming Sacred Symbols: The Story of Síle na Giġ and the Fight for Repatriation
On International Women’s Day, March 8, 2024, London witnessed a colorful and compelling display of protest art. Leading the charge was “Growler,” an 82-year-old alchemical vulva and alter ego of Irish artist-activist Dee Mulrooney. Wearing radiant red and pink robes, Growler took to the steps of the British Museum and later Parliament to demand the return of a mysterious and powerful cultural artifact: a Síle na Giġ (or Sheela na Gig) statue currently held by the British Museum.
This act of performance protest sheds light on growing movements to repatriate cultural artifacts that were once taken, or stolen, during the colonial-era expansion of European empires, especially Britain’s. The story of the Síle na Giġ is emblematic, not only of cultural loss but also of the fight for female sovereignty, indigenous spiritual resilience, and the right to self-determination of oppressed communities.
What Are Síle na Giġ?
Síle na Giġ are stone carvings of female figures that commonly appear across medieval Ireland, Britain, and parts of northern Europe. Known for their exaggerated vulvas—often held open by their own hands—these sculptures adorned churches, castles, and public buildings from the 12th through 16th centuries.
Though their original purpose is hotly debated by historians, various interpretations categorize them as:
– Remnants of pre-Christian goddess worship, emphasizing female generative power.
– Fertility symbols thought to provide protection from evil or encourage childbirth.
– Moral warnings about lust and sin, placed on churches as cautionary messages.
The duality of the Síle na Giġ—both sacred and transgressive—positions them in a unique space within historical and feminist discourse. They are seen either as empowering icons of divine femininity or misunderstood figures degraded by later patriarchal systems.
The British Museum’s Síle na Giġ
The Síle na Giġ at the heart of Mulrooney’s protest has a particularly contentious history. It was originally located in Chloran Castle in County Westmeath, Ireland. In the 1860s, Sir Benjamin James Chapman, then the estate’s owner, seized the sculpture. It eventually ended up in the possession of George Witt, a British collector obsessed with erotic artifacts. Witt donated the sculpture to the British Museum, where it remained in basement storage for over 150 years—largely uncatalogued and forgotten.
Only recently was it featured in the British Museum’s traveling exhibit “Revered and Feared: Feminine Power in Art and Beliefs.” While celebrated for its artistic and spiritual significance, there’s little acknowledgment in the exhibit of the object’s colonial extraction or cultural importance to Ireland.
Growler’s Pilgrimage
Dee Mulrooney, through her alter ego Growler (named after Dublin slang for vulva), visited the Caixa Forum in Madrid, where the sculpture was on display. Her mission: to reconnect, to protest, and to demand that this “living ancestor” return home.
However, the experience was fraught with barriers. She was not allowed to enter the gallery in her Growler attire. Additionally, the exhibition provided minimal context about the colonial background of the objects on display or the calls for repatriation. “It’s mad that we couldn’t make that decision as women ourselves to invite a representative of the Mother of God in to talk about a kidnapped ancestor,” she lamented.
Mulrooney’s campaign is more than a traditional protest—it is a pilgrimage. For her, the Síle na Giġ is not just an artifact, but a sacred embodiment of divine femininity, suppressed and displaced by colonialism. She uses humor, performance, and music—including the debut of her protest song “Free Síle na Giġ,” set to a popular Irish nursery rhyme—to advocate for justice with levity and resonance.
Symbols of Female Sovereignty
In interviews, Mulrooney emphasizes that her activism is not only about returning a statue. “It’s not about a stone sculpture that fell off a church in the 1860s,” she said. “It’s way deeper than that, she’s a symbol for female sovereignty.”
This symbolism resonates strongly in a contemporary context where hard-won rights to bodily autonomy—such as access to reproductive healthcare—are under renewed threat in both Ireland and the United States. The carving of a woman proudly displaying her sexuality turns patriarchal control on its head, reminding the world of a time when the divine feminine was openly honored.
The Greater Call for Repatriation
The movement to return the Síle na Giġ mirrors broader calls around the globe for the repatriation of cultural treasure. From the Benin Bronzes to Māori ancestral remains, museums—especially in Britain—face increasing pressure to return objects taken under dubious circumstances during colonial expansion.
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