Unveiled: 200-Year-Old Erotic Condom Crafted from Sheep Appendix Sparks Museum Buzz in the Netherlands
The Ancient Greek Myth Fittingly Etched Onto The Condom
Kelly Schenk/RijksmuseumThe illustration features a nun seducing three clergymen.
According to Rijksmuseum curator Joyce Zelen, the erotic etching on the condom is a reference to The Judgment of Paris, a classical myth in which the Trojan prince Paris must choose the fairest of three Greek goddesses. Paris is tasked with picking between Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena, ultimately gifting a golden apple to Aphrodite, as she made the most enticing offer to Paris: giving him the most beautiful mortal woman in the world.
That woman happened to be Helen of Sparta, who was then carted off to Troy to wed Paris, despite already being married to the Mycenaean king Menelaus. This cuckolding prompted Greek forces to invade Troy, marking the start of the Trojan War, eventually culminating in the gifting of the Trojan Horse to the city in order to invade and get Helen back.
The art on the condom is, of course, a parody of this myth, and uses sexual innuendo to make a pointed critique about sexuality and morality in 19th-century France.
“In the 1830s, when this condom was made, the use of condoms was still frowned upon, especially by the church,” Zelen explained. “They were mostly sold under the counter at brothels or barber shops, though there are some reports of luxury shops offering bespoke tailoring.”
How Condoms Were Made In Early 19th-Century Europe
Vulcanized rubber was invented in 1839, after which condoms became safer to use and more widespread. Before that, however, the contraceptives were often made of things like linen, animal membranes, or even turtle shells. As one might expect, with modern hindsight, these materials were almost entirely ineffective at preventing either the spread of sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy.
Post Comment