Ancient Artifacts from the Erotic Museum in Paris
If anyone is offended or under the legal age, should look away now!
A few years ago I visited the Erotic Museum in Paris. The museum is a dark place hidden away from the eyes of mainstream tourists. I found out about it from another numismatist.
For those of you who are wondering, I was looking for inspiration for my research, since back then I was determined to embark into a long and fruitful trip into the study of ancient sexualities! I lost my interest very soon, since my love remains firmly in numismatics.
As I took the trouble of getting the photos, I thought I should share some of them with you. At the time I was focusing on the positioning of the collection within the museum, so I took a lot of photos of the signs. I would spare you the details in this post and I will include only the pottery.
Ancient Greek Cup with erotic scene that reveals itself after you finish your drink! Perfect for Athenian symposia!
Priapos is the obvious male god of fertility. The massive member on the pot is eagerly worshipped in front of an altar!
I was always infatuated with Roman lamps and their erotic scenes. As an undergraduate I made infinite lists of them. Back then there was no classification or serious study on the topic. The task was so onerous that I gave up a few months later!
More erotic scenes on pottery destined for the symposium
This ancient orgy is depicted on the outside of the cup for easy visual access!
A conglomeration of artefacts that takes the trained eye some time to disentangle
I enjoyed this, and your other posts, particularly those on ancient Greece. I have written blog posts on the ancient world, especially one on the Antikythera Mechanism which you might find interesting: http://www.theoryofirony.com/?s=antikythera&submit=Go. In any event, keep up the good work!