Condom Of The Week

Dating back to 1830 and said to be in “mint condition” a condom made from a sheep’s appendix has recently gone on display at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum as part of an exhibition on 19th Century prostitution and sexuality which runs until the end of November. The condom came up for sale, so to speak, at auction and museum staff were somewhat surprised to be the only ones to bid for it.

No ordinary condom, it is thought to have been a “luxury souvenir” from a fancy brothel in France and only two such examples have survived. It is illustrated with a picture of a nun sitting in front of three men with her dress up and her legs apart, pointing her finger at the clergymen, all of whom are standing in front of her holding up their habits. It also bears the inscription “Voilà mon choix”, and is thought to be a parody of both celibacy and the Judgement of Paris in which the Trojan prince is required to choose between the goddesses Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena as to who is the fairest.

Unlike most condoms, it will stay up for six months!