Going strictly by popular culture, you’d be forgiven for thinking sex was invented sometime in the 1960s. Obviously our ancestors were getting it on long before that; Socrates invented Western thought while diddling little boys. But the ’60s were when sex became fun, right? Wrong. The truth is that sex toys have been around for centuries, and the evidence is both fascinating and occasionally bizarre.
Sex Toys: A Historical Journey
10 Blow Up Doll
French sailors in the seventeenth century tried to soothe homesick mates with the “Dame de Voyage” – a bundle of curvaceous rags that barely resembled a woman. The real breakthrough arrived after vulcanised rubber was patented. In 1904 alchemist René Schwaeble claimed to have met a mysterious Dr. P. in Paris who was building inflatable dolls for discerning gentlemen. Four years later, German sexologist Iwan Bloch was cataloguing mass‑produced versions that could even “imitate ejaculation”. The most unsettling advertisement promised a custom doll that could look like “any actual person, living or dead,” a tagline that still makes us shiver.
9 Rectal Dilator
Invented by Frank E. Young in 1892 but not marketed until the turn of the century, the ‘Rectal Dilator’ was a 4½‑inch steel rod sold as a cure for piles. Advertised in respectable medical journals, the device came with a suggestively worded instruction manual that hinted at a different kind of relief. For four decades these Victorian‑era butt plugs were shipped across the United States until the 1938 Federal Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act banned them for false advertising.
8 Hysteria
During the Victorian era, “female hysteria” was a recognised ailment, and doctors were instructed to treat it by manually stimulating a patient until orgasm. To ease the monotony, George Taylor invented a steam‑powered vibrator, though it never caught on. A more successful design came from J. Granville in 1880, an “electrochemical” vibrator that became a household name, even earning favorable reviews in Good Housekeeping. The device was marketed as a medical massager, but once it appeared in early pornographic films, husbands objected, fearing overly satisfied wives.
7 Ancient Condom
While the exact purpose of early sheaths is debated, the first reliable record of a condom dates to 1564. After the Black Death, Europe was ravaged by syphilis, prompting Gabriele Falloppio to devise a linen sheath soaked in chemicals. In a trial involving 1,100 volunteers, not a single case of the “French Disease” was reported. Europe honoured him by naming the fallopian tubes after his surname.
6 The Penis Ring
In AD 1200 Chinese aristocracy, pressure to produce heirs was intense. To keep erections lasting for hours, nobles wore a penis ring crafted from a goat’s eyelid, complete with intact eyelashes. The quirky accessory helped them fulfill their dynastic duties, even if they were secretly crying inside.
5 Geisha Balls
Originating around AD 500 in the Orient, these small weighted spheres—known variously as Ben Wa Balls, Rin No Tama, or Burmese Balls—were initially designed for male pleasure. Women soon discovered their benefits, and the toys spread across Asian cultures, serving both as a means of heightened sexual enjoyment and a discreet self‑stimulation device.
4 Penis Enlargement
The Third‑Century AD Kama Sutra is famous for its erotic advice, but it also recommends increasing size by rubbing the penis with wasp stingers—an approach that would cause temporary swelling. The text also mentions “Apadravyas” made of gold, ivory, silver, or wood, essentially early strap‑ons designed to supplement length or thickness.
3 Ancient Lubricant
By 350 B.C., the Greeks were already championing olive oil as a natural lubricant. Aristotle references it in his “History of the Animals,” suggesting smoother intercourse reduced pregnancy chances. Two centuries later, physician Soranus echoed the sentiment, while Herodotus, Plutarch, and Ovid all celebrated the olive tree’s gift to Athens.
2 Ancient Dildo
The oldest confirmed dildo dates back roughly 26,000 years—a stone phallus unearthed in Germany. Archaeologists have found countless examples made from stone, wood, and bone, indicating that humans have crafted sexual aids for at least 13,000 years, predating agriculture and even many tools.
1 Pornography
Approximately 33,000 B.C., a mammoth‑tusk statue was discovered depicting a female torso with exaggerated sexual features. Though its exact purpose remains debated, the carving suggests that prehistoric humans were already creating erotic art—perhaps even before formal religion took hold.
From inflatable companions to stone relics, the legacy of sex toys proves that the pursuit of pleasure is a timeless human endeavor.