The condom is believed to have come from an elite Parisian brothel and features an erotic illustration of a nun offering herself to three aroused clergymen.
Curator Joyce Zelen commented on the condom: “We examined it with a UV lamp and suspect it was never actually used.” /p/div p class=”dropcaps”>The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is now displaying a unique “luxury souvenir” from the 1830s: a condom, probably made from a sheep’s appendix, with an image of a partially naked nun beckoning to three horny priests. Underneath the illustration is the French phrase “emVoilà mon choix/em,” which translates as “Here is my choice.” The condom, believed to have come from a prestigious Paris brothel, was the first contraceptive product to join the museum’s collection. It is now the centerpiece of a new exhibition at the museum, emSafe Sex?/em, which explores sex work and sexual health. An ancient Greek myth, appropriately reflected on a condom/h2 div id=”attachment_545336″ class=”wp-caption alignnone”img decoding=”async” aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-545336″ src=”https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/sheep-appendix-condom.jpg” alt=”Sheep appendix condom” width=”900″ height=”589″ class=”size-full wp-image-545336 post-img-landscape” https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/sheep-appendix-condom-300×196.jpg 300w, https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/sheep-appendix-condom-768×503.jpg 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px” />
Kelly Schenk/RijksmuseumThe image shows a nun seducing three priests.
According to Rijksmuseum curator Joyce Seelen, the erotic condom engraving references the Judgement of Paris, a classic myth in which the Trojan prince Paris must choose the most beautiful of three Greek goddesses. Paris is tasked with choosing between Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena, and ultimately gives the golden apple to Aphrodite because she offers him the most tempting offer: to give him the most beautiful mortal woman in the world.
This woman turned out to be Helen of Sparta, who was then taken to Troy to marry Paris, despite the fact that she was already married to the Mycenaean king Menelaus. This decision prompted the Greek forces to invade Troy, marking the beginning of the Trojan War, which eventually ended with the gift of the Trojan Horse to the city to enable the invasion and reclaim Helen.
The illustration on the condom is certainly a parody of this myth, and uses sexual subtext to sharply criticize sexuality and mores in 19th century France.
“In the 1830s, when the condom was created, the use of such products was still frowned upon, especially by the church,” Zelen explained. “They were mostly sold illegally in brothels or barber shops, although there are some accounts of luxury shops offering custom orders.”
How condoms were made in Europe in the early 19th century
Vulcanized rubber was invented in 1839, making condoms safer and more affordable. However, before then, contraceptives were often made from materials such as linen, animal membranes, or even turtle shells. As you might expect, by today's standards, these materials were almost entirely ineffective at preventing the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy.
The museum calls the condom a “luxury souvenir,” noting that they “examined it under ultraviolet light and suspect it had never been used.” What’s more, the item served as both a symbol and an effective advertising method—it’s just under eight inches long, which would likely have been flattering to whoever originally purchased it.
“It is also unclear whether the nun in the engraving is pointing to a bald man, a thin man, or one who looks a little overweight,” Zelen added. “So any man might feel that he is being addressed specifically.”
How the condom fits into the Rijksmuseum collection
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