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NDTV
a day ago
- General
- NDTV
Nearly 200-Year-Old Condom With Erotic Painting Goes On Display At Dutch Museum
An almost 200-year-old, mint-condition condom has been put up for display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Believed to be made of a sheep's appendix and featuring an erotic print, showing a nun and three clergymen, the "luxury souvenier" is the first-ever contraceptive sheath to be added to the museum's art collection. "The inscription Voila mon choix, meaning 'There, that's my choice', makes the print a parody of both celibacy and the Judgement of Paris from Greek mythology," the museum highlighted. Since the artefact was put on display, the museum has been packed with people, both young and old. Rijksmuseum curator Joyce Zelen said the "response has been amazing", adding that she and her colleague had a hearty laugh when they first spotted the condom at an auction. 'We looked at it with UV light and suspect it was never actually used. It's also unclear whether the nun in the etching is pointing at the bald man, the thin man, or the one who looks slightly overweight.' Ms Zelen clarified. 'That way, any type of man could feel spoken to," she added. Condoms in olden age The condom, which dates back to 1830, is part of an exhibition on 19th-century prostitution and sexuality. Prints, drawings and photographs also form part of the display. Prior to the invention of vulcanised rubber in 1839, primitive condoms were made using linen, animal membranes or even turtle shells. However, they did little to protect from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or to prevent pregnancy. "In the 1830s, when this condom was made, the use of condoms was still frowned upon, especially by the church,' said Ms Zelen. 'They were mostly sold under the counter at brothels or barber shops, though there are some reports of luxury shops offering bespoke tailoring.' The Dutch museum stated it was "open to loan" the artefact out to other institutions, but noted that the condom was very delicate. It will be on display until the end of November.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
In Netherlands, a 200-year-old condom is on display at ‘Safe Sex?' exhibit
The Netherlands' national museum has a new or rather a bizarre object on display, a nearly 200-year-old condom emblazoned with erotic art, that merges art with Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District. It is part of an exhibition called "Safe Sex?" about 19th-century sex work that opened on Tuesday. The 200-year-old condom, possibly a souvenir from a brothel, is decorated with an erotic image of a nun and three clergymen. According to a CNN report, the condom measures under eight inches, and is in 'mint condition,' said Joyce Zelen, curator of prints at the museum in Netherlands. UV testing revealed it hasn't been used, she added. 'Condoms would have been sold under the counter at the time. This fact, as well as the print and the extended length of the condom, which is 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) long, suggest that this was 'a luxury brothel souvenir,' she said. The Rijksmuseum said in a statement that the playful prophylactic is believed to be made around 1830 from a sheep's appendix and 'depicts both the playful and the serious side of sexual health.' 'This is my choice,' makes the print a parody of both celibacy and the Judgement of Paris from Greek mythology,' AP news agency quoted museum's statement. The inscription, 'Voilà mon choix', meaning 'This is my choice' is written along the sheath in French. According to the museum, this is a reference to the Pierre-Auguste Renoir painting "The Judgment of Paris," which depicts the Trojan prince Paris judging a beauty contest between three goddesses. While this kind of condom was not likely to have been used, those designed to protect the wearer would have been made with similar materials, Zelen told CNN, adding that they would have provided minimal protection from unwanted pregnancies and sexual transmitted infections such as syphilis, which was a significant public health problem in 19th century Europe. The Rijksmuseum reportedly acquired the condom at auction six months ago and it is the first example of a print on a condom to form part of the museum's collection. The condom is on display until the end of November.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
200-year-old unused condom with saucy print draws big crowds to Dutch museum
A 200-year-old condom – still unused and still straight as an arrow – has been drawing huge crowds to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. 'It's in mint condition,' the museum's curator Joyce Zelen told the BBC. She said the museum inspected the condom with ultraviolet light and ascertained that it had never been used. The rare artefact – likely a 'luxury souvenir' from a fancy brothel in France – dates back to 1830. It is believed that only two such objects are known to have survived to the present day. The condom is thought to be made of a sheep's appendix. It features an explicit print of a nun sitting in front of three clergymen with her dress up and her legs apart, pointing her finger at the men, all of whom are standing in front of her holding up their habits. The condom also bears the inscription 'Voila mon choix', meaning: 'There is my choice'. The Dutch museum said the print is a 'parody of both celibacy and the Judgement of Paris from Greek mythology' – the mythological story of a Trojan prince named Paris who had to decide who was the fairest goddess among Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. The condom 'embodies both the lighter and darker sides of sexual health, in an era when the quest for sensual pleasure was fraught with fears of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases – especially syphilis', the museum said. 'Acquiring the condom has enabled us to focus on 19th-century sexuality and prostitution, a subject that is underrepresented in our collection,' it said. Ms Zelen told the BBC that when she and her colleague first saw the condom at an auction in 2024, they 'were laughing'. 'No one else noticed it,' she said, and they were the only ones who bid on it. The 200-year-old condom on display at the Rijkmuseum in Amstermdam. PHOTO: RIJKSMUSEUM Since it was put on display, the museum has been packed with people – young and old – and the 'response has been amazing', said Ms Zelen. She said her institution was open to loan the artefact out to other museums, but noted that the condom was very delicate. It will be on display until the end of November. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
