Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum has unveiled a unique addition to its collection: a condom dating back almost 200 years, adorned with erotic art that reflects the city’s Red Light District history.
The Rijksmuseum described the condom, thought to be crafted around 1830 from a sheep’s appendix, as a depiction of “both the playful and the serious side of sexual health.”
The unusual artefact is showcased in the “Safe Sex?” exhibition, which opened on Tuesday and explores the realities of 19th-century sex work. The condom, potentially a souvenir from a brothel, features an erotic image of a nun and three clergymen.
The phrase “This is my choice” is written along the sheath in French. According to the museum, this is a reference to the Pierre-Auguste Renoir painting “The Judgment of Paris,” which depicts the Trojan prince Paris judging a beauty contest between three goddesses.
The condom is on display until the end of November.
