“Sinful humor of the nineteenth century”: a 200-year-old condom with a caricature of the clergy was shown in Amsterdam
5 June 2025 18:52
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has presented an unusual artifact for the first time – a condom made around 1830. The exhibit depicting a nun and three naked priests showing their genitals has attracted special attention from the public and researchers. This is reported by The Washington Post, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
The condom, probably made of sheep intestinal membrane, bears an inscription in French: Voilà mon choix – “Here is my choice”.
According to The Washington Post, this phrase is both a humorous criticism of celibacy and possibly a parody of the ancient “Judgment of Paris,” a myth about choosing the most beautiful goddess.
The artifact was first exhibited on June 3 in the Rijksmuseum’s Prints and Photographs Hall among other exhibits related to the theme of sexuality and prostitution in nineteenth-century Europe.
According to the curators, the object embodies two sides of sexual life of that era-desire and fear: on the one hand, bodily pleasure, on the other, the risks of unwanted pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, especially syphilis.
The condom was purchased six months ago at an auction where no other buyer was interested, according to the art platform Artnet. The exhibition will run until the end of November.
Researcher Kate Stevenson notes that such contraceptives have existed since at least the 16th century. For example, in 1564, an Italian anatomist described the use of linen covers, and later, the intestinal membranes of animals.
