The Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands has unveiled a unique addition to its latest exhibition on 19th-century sex work: a nearly 200-year-old sheep skin condom, notable for its historic and artistic value.
Believed to date back to around 1830, the sheep skin condom is thought to be crafted from a sheep’s appendix and is adorned with an erotic illustration featuring a nun and three clergymen. The museum described the artifact as representing both “the playful and the serious side of sexual health.”
The condom is part of the newly launched “Safe Sex?” exhibition, which explores the practices and perceptions of sex work during the 1800s. Museum officials speculate that the item may have originated as a brothel souvenir.
In addition to the artwork, the sheath bears a French phrase translating to “This is my choice,” a likely nod to the Pierre-Auguste Renoir painting “The Judgment of Paris,” which depicts a mythological beauty contest.
This rare sheep skin condom will be on public display until the end of November.
Want more weird news? Click here!