Rare 200-Year-Old Condom Goes on Display at Dutch Museum

Who knew a condom could be considered art? Rijksmuseum announced that it’s latest display piece isn’t a painting or a sculpture, but a condom.

Dating back to 1830, the rare item is thought to be made from a sheep’s appendix. The condom is thought to have been a souvenir from a brothel. It is one of only two such objects to be presently available.

“We looked at it with UV light and suspect it was never actually used,” curator Joyce Zelen told The Guardian.

The condom is rather artistic, as it features an erotic etching depicting a nun and three clergymen. The etching shows a nun sitting with her legs apart in front of the three noticeably aroused men.

The inscription on the condom read “voilà mon choix,” which translates to “this is my choice.” Per the museum, the inscription is “a parody of both celibacy and the Judgement of Paris from Greek mythology.”

“It makes it more of an object to laugh about with your friends than an actual object to use,” Zelen told CNN of both the etching and the condom’s extended length.

What the Condom reveals About History

That etching revealed that printing was being used in a wide range of contexts at the time. It also provides insight into both sexuality and prostitution in the 19th century.

“It 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.

Speaking to The Guardian, Zelen noted that “in the 1830s, when this condom was made, the use of condoms was still frowned upon, especially by the church.”

“They were mostly sold under the counter at brothels or barber shops,” she added, “though there are some reports of luxury shops offering bespoke tailoring.”

The condom is joining the museum’s Print Room as part of a display on 19th-century prostitution and sexuality. It will be on display through November.