Top 10 Sexiest Ancient Artefacts in the World
The 10 sexiest objects from antiquity – a great title for any intrepid heritage blogger to get his or her teeth into. A few obvious examples spring to mind straight away: the erotic collection of frescoes, mosaics and statues from Pompeii is world-famous, while the Greeks too were masters at outlining explicit sex acts on their red- and black-figure ceramic ware.
Despite a fleeting worry that I wouldn't be able to come up with 10 solid candidates, I soon realised that the problem here is getting the list down to just 10.
And then comes the question of what constitutes a 'sexy' artefact. Are we going to be tasteful about this, and choose iconic statues such as the Venus de Milo, a Greek image of the ultimate half-naked love goddess, sculpted in the second century BC? Can innate beauty and nakedness suffice for the most sexy artefacts in the world list? Or should we go for art with action (if you know what I mean)? There are plenty of graphic examples of erotic art from the classical world – some of the more graphic artefacts have made their way into this top 10, as well as some pieces that are simply a celebration of physcial pleasure and intimacy. Others have definitely been sculpted, painted or drawn with a cheeky sense of humour, and there are examples from ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome as well as Indian civilizations.
1. The Turin Erotic Papyrus
The Turin Erotic Papyrus, number 55001, also known as the Satyric-erotic Papyrus or simply the Erotic Papyrus, is certainly graphic enough and old enough to qualify as a sexy ancient artefact.
It may not be in the best condition – its fragments provided just a few tantalizing glimpses of lurid and altogether improbable sexual acts, but maybe this makes it all the more titillating.
The papyrus was made in the 11th or 12th centuries BC in Deir El-Medina, Egypt. It recently starred in a programme for the History Channel, Sex In The Ancient World - Egyptian Erotica.
2. The Tomb of the Floggings, Tarquinia
The Etruscans were renowned for being broad-minded with regards to the role of women in their society, and also towards the role of sex. As a result, numerous kraters and plates have been found in Tarquinia and Cerveteri depicting explicit sexual scenes. Erotica wasn't limited to crockery though – lewd paintings have been found inside the rock-hewn tombs at the Monterozzi necropolis at Tarquinia. The Tomb of the Floggings has a painting of a threesome, while the Tomb of the Bigas shows a homosexual couple making love in front of an audience. Sadly the painting in the Tomb of the Bigas has now worn away almost completely, although an artist's impression shows us what the wall painting looked like.
3. Erotic Scenes in Lupenar
Many of the wall frescoes and statues found at Pompeii show romping couples – particularly scenes from the Lupanar, Pompeii's biggest brothel and the oldest in the world. Pale-skinned, buxom women make love to darker-skinned, sinewy men on top of large beds covered in cushions and silky covering. A variety of positions are shown. These frescoes were considered so shocking that for many years they were kept in the 'secret cabinet' at the Archaeological Museum of Naples.
4. Khajuraho Temples
A group of Hindu and Jain temples in the town of Khajuraho, in Madhya Pradesh, northern India, are decorated with highly erotic sculptures (pictured above) – although these only appear externally, suggesting that people entering the temples should leave their sexual appetites outside. The sexy scenes (only 10 per cent of the temples' sculptures are sexual) show large-breasted women and men (or nymphs?) engaging in a wide variety of sexual activities, some of which I'm guessing could only be attempted by a yoga master. The complex of temples (originally 80, now only 25 remain in a well-preserved state) were built between 950 AD and 1150 AD.
5. Athenian Red-figure Krater
This krater, or Greek ceramic vase for mixing wine and water, was made in around 500 BC and is on display at the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens.
It's not entirely clear what's going on here, but the red figures are definitely at play, with the two men chasing the females.
Erotic scenes are found on many other Greek and Etruscan kraters of this type, as well as ceramic plates.
6. The Barberini Faun (or the Drunken Satyr)
This statue (see image above), housed in Munich's Glyptothek, dates from the late third or early second century BC. Unlike other objects in this list, it doesn't portray an explicit sex act, but the male figure is nevertheless reclining in an erotic pose. With his eyes closed, perhaps in a drunken stupor, the faun's nakedness is imposing and seductive. There is a copy of the statue in the Louvre, Paris.
7. Loving Couple (Mithuna)
This 13th century stone sculpture stands 182cm high and is on display at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Originally from Orissa in north-eastern India, the Mithuna shows a voluptuous couple embracing and gazing lovingly into each other's eyes.
While the full bodies and pose are erotic, the couple also represent the human soul's desire to be united with the divine.
8. Aphrodite, Eros and Pan
This 100 BC Hellenic marble statue shows Aphrodite being accosted by the naughty god Pan, while her son Eros whispers something in her ear. Often called the 'Slipper Slapper', the marble group sculpture shows Aphrodite poised to whack Pan with her sandal to fend off his advances.
9. Female plaster cast from Pompeii
While the female plaster casts from Pompeii might not be what would immediately spring to mind when thinking of a sexy ancient artefact, some of them have attracted some amorous attention from admirers in the past century. The American poet Yusef Komunyakaa wrote a love elegy to the woman, called Cadavere di Donna, which includes the lines:
“Sometimes
I want you making fierce love,
With moans like thought-bubbles
Of pleasure forever in Pompeii's
Lava & ash.”
10. Pan with Goat, from Pompeii
Is this statue sexy? Or just plain wrong? Whatever your views (personally I'm feeling pretty sorry for that poor goat), this statue must have been completely tongue-in-cheek even in the context of the most debauched and drunken Roman party. It's nevertheless explicit, grotesque and funny all at the same time – possibly something to do with the perplexed yet affectionate expressions on the face of Pan and his goat. It was found in the House of the Papyri at Pompeii and was even displayed in quite a public part of the house. For decades it was kept in the Secret Cabinet at the Archaeological Museum of Naples, with many other items deemed too graphic to be seen by the general public.
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