200-year-old condom decorated with erotic art goes on display in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum

Audio By Carbonatix

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Netherlands' national museum has a new object on display that merges art with Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District: a nearly 200-year-old condom, emblazoned with erotic art.

The Rijksmuseum said in a statement that the playful prophylactic, believed to be made around 1830 from a sheep’s appendix, “depicts both the playful and the serious side of sexual health.”

It is part of an exhibition called “Safe Sex?” about 19th century sex work that opened on Tuesday.

The condom, possibly a souvenir from a brothel, is decorated with 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 a story from Greek mythology in which the Trojan prince Paris judges a beauty contest among three goddesses, and which has been depicted in numerous artworks.

The condom is on display until the end of November.

——

This story was first published on Jun. 3, 2025. It was updated on Jun. 10, 2025 to correct that the reference on the condom was to the story of the judgment of Paris in Greek mythology, not specifically to the Renoir painting.