A 200-year-old condom has been unveiled in Amsterdam

The national museum of the Netherlands - the famous Amsterdam Rijksmuseum - has an unusual exhibit attracting special attention of the public: an almost 200-year-old condom decorated with a frank erotic illustration.

This unusual artefact was made around 1830. A sheep's appendix was used to create it, and the condom itself is decorated with a drawing depicting an erotic scene involving a nun and three priests. According to the museum staff, this unusual product combines "the playful and serious sides of sexual health of the time."

The piece was part of a new exhibition called "Safe Sex?" which explores the lives of 19th century sex workers and opened Tuesday. Researchers suggest that the condom could have served as a kind of souvenir purchased by visitors to an Amsterdam brothel located in the famous Red Light District.

The design of the condom is particularly interesting: in addition to the savoury plot, the product has an inscription in French on the shell - "This is my choice". According to Rijksmuseum experts, this phrase refers the viewer to the famous painting by French painter Pierre Auguste Renoir "The Judgement of Paris", where the Trojan prince Paris chooses the most beautiful of the three goddesses.

Thus, this exhibit is not just a testament to the attitude of the 19th century society to intimate hygiene, but also an example of combining subtle humour with elements of cultural references of the time. The museum notes that such artefacts help visitors to gain a deeper understanding of how people of the past perceived the intimate sphere of life.

The condom will remain on display at the Rijksmuseum until the end of November.