Latest news with #Zelen
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.
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.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
GUT INSTINCT! 200-year-old sheep intestine condom goes on show
A 200-year-old condom etched with a cheeky image of a nun ogling three excited priests has gone on display at one of the world's most prestigious art museums. The hand-stitched sheath - believed to be made of sheep gut - was likely a saucy souvenir from a high-end French brothel and is now proudly featured at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The print on the ancient Johnny shows a seated nun with her legs spread as she eyes up three very aroused clerics who are flashing their bits under flowing robes. The nun points at one and says: "Voilà mon choix" - French for "This is my choice". Joyce Zelen, curator of print art at the Dutch museum, said the naughty number dated back to around 1830 and was more likely bought for laughs than used for action. She said: "We suspect it was more of a luxury brothel souvenir than an actual condom for use." The racy relic cost €1,000 (£844) and is one of only two known examples left in the world. Zelen added to the Het Parool newspaper: "Erotic art is one of my favourite areas of research. And now we had come to the point where we had to ask the boss if we could bid on a condom. "We even had to add the object name 'condom' to our collection's database, which did not exist yet." Back in the day - long before Durex and latex - lovers got frisky with whatever they could find, from fish bladders to linen sacks. Rubber condoms didn't exist until 1839, after the discovery of vulcanised rubber. Museum bosses say the ancient sheath is also a window into a darker past of 19th-century sexual health, when the threat of unwanted pregnancy and syphilis loomed large. In a statement, they said: "It embodies both the lighter and darker sides of sexual health." The well-hung exhibit is now on show in the museum's print room as part of a new display exploring prostitution and sexuality in the 1800s, running until the end of November.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
19th Century Condom, With Erotic Image, On Display At Dutch Museum
New Delhi: It is neither a painting nor a sculpture. It's a 19th-century condom, made from a sheep's appendix and printed with an erotic image of a nun and three aroused clergymen, now on public display for the first time in Amsterdam. Measuring under eight inches, the condom is in "mint condition". UV testing revealed it hasn't been used, says Joyce Zelen, curator of prints at the museum in the Netherlands. Believed to have been a luxury souvenir from an 1830 brothel, "It makes it more of an object to laugh about with your friends than an actual object to use," Ms Zelen told CNN. The scene etched onto the condom is explicit and deeply ironic. A nun, legs open, is flanked by three clergymen lifting their robes, exposing their erections. The phrase 'Voila mon choix' (This is my choice) is scrawled underneath. "It shows a sort of parody on religious celibacy, but the composition is also clearly a joke on the Judgment of Paris [the Prince of Troy], where he chooses the most beautiful of the three Greek goddesses before him," Ms Zelen told Hyperallergic. "For me, that underlines the potential clientele for such a luxury condom with a print. They were probably a wealthy and well-read person." Ms Zelen explained that the design was printed using a copper plate on the flattened intestine of a sheep or goat. While this particular example wasn't intended for use, condoms from the era were typically made with similar materials and offered minimal protection against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections like syphilis, a major health concern at the time. The rare object was acquired by the museum for 1000 Netherlands Euros (around Rs 98,000) at a Haarlem auction six months ago. The price wasn't the awkward part. "We came to the point where we had to decide: 'Which of us is going to call our boss to ask if we can buy a condom?' And yeah, that was me," Ms Zelen said. The condom is now part of the museum's new exhibit titled 'Safe Sex?', which explores 19th-century prostitution, desire, and disease. And this artefact sits at the centre of it. The condom will remain on display in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum's Print Room until the end of November.
Mint
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
200-year-old condom decorated with erotic art goes on display in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum
A 19th-century condom decorated with erotic drawings is set to go on display at a Dutch museum. The erotic etching on the condom features a nun and three clergymen, and it is believed to have been made from a sheep's appendix. According to a CNN report, the prophylactic dates back to the 1830s, and is likely a souvenir from a brothel, as per a recent statement from the iconic Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The curator of prints at this museum stated that this art piece looked more like a "luxury brothel souvenir", and was in "mint condition". UV testing on the item has revealed that it was never used before, according to Joyce Zelen, the curator. This "luxury" souvenir was nearly 7.9 inches long (20 centimeters), and according to Zelen, it was "more of an object to laugh about with your friends than an actual object to use", as reported by CNN. In the erotic art, the nun can be seen seated with her legs open, with the three clergymen holding their robes upwards. They were reportedly revealing their private parts, as per the art. The inscription on the art reads,"Voilà mon choix," which translates to "This is my choice", the museum stated.
