It might come as a surprise to learn that the state of Indiana has one of the worlds largest collections of sex-related artifacts. Fully integrated with Indiana University in Bloomington as of 2016, the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, founded in 1947 by American sexologist Alfred Kinsey, houses over 650,000 items spanning 2,000 years of human sexuality.
With nearly a decade of experience as the Institutes curator and traveling exhibitions manager, Rebecca Fasman talked to Hyperallergic about the most interesting objects and artworks in the collection from sex toys across centuries to historical photographs of transgender activism in the United States and contemporary artworks addressing sex and gender. These artifacts, she noted, do not have a particular theme; rather, they are opportunities to dive deeper into parts of human history, American history, and the global understanding of how sex has existed in various ways in various cultures around the world.
A woodblock Shunga (erotic art) print from 19th-century Japan portrays two women engaging in sexual intercourse with the use of a strap-on dildo a depiction that Fasman notes was rare during this time period in Japan, but not unheard of. The Institutes library also owns a number of Japanese strap-on dildos, including one from the 1800s that was carved from bone.
Its a really cool part of our collection to be able to match an artwork with an object from the same time period, she said. We know that strap-ons were a thing that existed, so I would argue that sex toys have existed throughout the millennia of human existence.
On the topic of sex toys, another fascinating object with an equally fascinating name is the Accu-jac Pneumatic Penis-Milker, produced by a company known as Jac-Masters and archived with its accompanying order form. The name leaves little to the imagination, but for those who might be thrown off by the covert toolbox appearance, the device is activated by a motor that sends air currents through a narrow tube connected to a latex sleeve that fits over a penis. No longer in circulation, the devices were trademarked in 1973 as motor-operated vacuum-type massage instruments for massaging the human body.
Apparently, the specimen in the Kinsey Institute collection is on the lower end of Jac-Masterss products, as there are ads for partner-friendly devices that cost upwards of $700. Fasman specified that ads and order forms for these devices were usually restricted to LGBTQ+, underground, and adult magazines.
While theres evidently lots of fun to be had as a party of one, Fasmans round-up also includes archival prophylactics for two or more. Venereal disease, particularly syphilis, was a major and often deadly problem among soldiers during World War I, and the military began distributing V-Packettes produced by the pharmaceutical company John Wyeth and Bro Inc. between 1940 and 1949 in an effort to combat the spread. The packets came with calomel ointment, silver picrate, cleansing wipes, and directions that note that the included contents are for prevention only, not a cure.
Even at a time when sexuality being controlled pretty aggressively through the government through anti-obscenity laws and such, there was an understanding, at least amongst the military, that people are going to have sex and that it is better to have healthy soldiers than ones that contract a disease, Fasman said.
On the other hand (or other body part of your choice), Fasman also picked out some latex novelty condoms preserved in bell jars full of nitrogen gas to prevent degradation. Bejeweled or representational, theyre strictly for eyes only and should not be put outside or inside anybody.
A little further back in time, one of the oldest objects in the Institutes collection is a carved stone Egyptian ithyphallic figure dated around 1000 BCE, most likely used as a fertility or protection amulet. The collection also houses a near-complete copy of the c. 1610 book Su Wo pien (Lady of the Moon) from the Ming Dynasty in China, with intricate drawings of sexual intimacy amid the natural world. The Institutes Library and Special Collections Director Liana Zhou wrote an article about the social significance of Su Wo pien, noting that it portrayed a very obvious Taoist theory on sexuality throughout its entirety of 90 illustrations and 43 chapters.
Expanding on the intersection of sexuality and nature, Fasman shared that she was most excited about the work of late photographer Laura Aguilar, a plus-sized, working-class queer-identifying Chicana woman who integrated her figure into organic environments in acts of communing throughout her practice.
Earlier this year, Indiana legislators voted to defund the Kinsey Institute on the basis of child safety concerns, putting the research centers financial status at risk. Regarding the expansion of Kinsey Institutes archive, Fasman explained that while donations come in regularly, she is working on developing an acquisition budget to ethically source more content for the library and special collections.
We should have more artwork about sexuality by Black and Indigenous artists, by artists of color and queer artists and disabled artists and all marginalized communities whose perspectives have not been given the attention that they should, Fasman said.
For those outside of Indiana who would like to see some of the collection in person, Fasman has curated an upcoming show at the Wilzig Erotic Art Museum in Miami Beach that is set to open on Monday, December 4 in alignment with Miami Art Week.Bettina Rheims: Everything All At Oncefeatures 12 rarely seen photos taken by the French photographer between 1989 and 1991 that explore gender identity and presentation at the height of the AIDS crisis.
Original post:
Inside One of the Largest Collections of Sex Artifacts - Hyperallergic
Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith
