Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess cerebral activation during manipulation of various complex meaningless objects as compared to manipulation of a single simple object (a sphere). Significant activation was found bilaterally in the ventral premotor cortex (Brodmann's area 44), in the cortex lining the anterior part of the intraparietal sulcus (most probably corresponding to monkey anterior intraparietal area, AIP), in the superior parietal lobule and in the opercular parietal cortex including the secondary somatosensory area (SII). We suggest that the cortex lining the anterior part of the intraparietal sulcus and area 44 are functionally connected and mediate object manipulation in humans.