On Tuesday, Rijksmuseum announced that the rare condom of 1830 will be on display in the museum in its printing room, where it will form part of the exhibition in the 19th century sexual work and sexual behavior. It will be on display in November.
The condom is nearly 200 years old and is believed to be made from the appendix of the sheep. Its erotic images depict a nun and three clergymen, most likely a souvenir to a brothel. The museum said in a press release that the work is one of only two such items to survive today.
The image printed on the condom depicts a nun with legs apart and pointing at three clergymen. Below is the inscription Voilà MonChoix– “This is my choice” – The museum points to Greek mythology, parody of the judgment of Paris.
Rijksmuseum is the top museum in Amsterdam and the Dutch National Museum, with over 1 million works in its collection displaying approximately 1,000 items, including famous works by Dutch masters such as Renénbrand, Johannes Wilmer and Frans Hals.
Rijksmuseum Print Room purchased about 750,000 prints, drawings and photos at auction six months ago.
