Unveiled: 200-Year-Old Erotic Condom Crafted from Sheep Appendix Sparks Museum Buzz in the Netherlands
Imagine snagging a souvenir from a swanky 1830s Parisian brothel—a condom no less—crafted from a sheep appendix and flaunting an audacious etching: a barely dressed nun enticing three very interested clergymen. Yep, this cheeky relic has just landed center stage at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, starring in a bold new exhibit on sex work and sexual health. Ever wonder how morality, erotic art, and early contraception collided in a time when pulling out your wallet for safe sex was scandalous? This little artifact doesn’t just tease the eye—it mocks the heavy-handed church and the hypocrisies of 19th-century France, all while serving as a curious piece of history that makes you question: Has the pursuit of pleasure always been so complicated? Dive into this story that’s equal parts risqué and revolutionary. LEARN MORE
The condom is believed to have come from a high-end Parisian brothel and features an erotic drawing in which a nun offers herself to three aroused clergymen.
Kelly Schenk/RijksmuseumCurator Joyce Zelen said of the condom, “We looked at it with UV light and suspect it was never actually used.”
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is now displaying a unique “luxury souvenir” from the 1830s: a condom likely made from a sheep appendix, featuring artwork that depicts a partially undressed nun beckoning three aroused clergymen. Printed below the image is the French phrase “Voilà mon choix,” or “There, that’s my choice.”
This condom, thought to have come from an upscale brothel in Paris, has now become the first contraceptive sheath to join the museum’s collection. It is now the centerpiece of a new exhibition at the museum titled Safe Sex? which focuses on themes of sex work and sexual health.
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