Monday, October 8, 2007

I know I own one… do you?

For years, dildos have played a role in sexual fulfillment. I know I own one… blushing… but hey I figure most woman do so I should not be embarrassed! Wink.

For my first book What She Craves the story CheckMate has an erotic sexual chess game in it where some of the pieces are given marble dildos. I did a bit of research to make sure that they were indeed used during this time period and found that the first documentation of a dildo is from Ancient Greece. The city of Miletus was renowned for its leather, wood, and ivory olisbos - they were sold not only in the shops of the city, but on the Mediterranean circuits they traded them. I tried really hard to find images of some of these old phalluses… but was unsuccessful! If you know of any links please let me know.

There were also paintings on Greek vases that depicted dildos, as well as some vague references to them possibly being used in deflowering ceremonies, wherein a dildo was attached to a statue of Priapus and used to prepare a young woman for marriage. And in Renaissance Italy they used wood versions which required olive oil to make them sufficiently lubricated for use.




Outside Europe, dildos had also been in use since ancient times. In China, they were sometimes made of wood, jade, and ivory; ( I did manage to find a photo of a jade one and an ivory one, Though I am unsure of time period on these. They are quite beautiful and I imagine feel quite unique.)

Hugs and Kisses,
Lacy.

14 comments:

Shelli Stevens said...

That is too cool! I love hearing about the history of sex and sex toys. I just saw this great show on the history channel about vibrators and how they were originally used by doctors to treat hysteria or something on women back in the 1800's. How crazy is that?!

Lacy Danes said...

If I remember right the very first vibrators were wind up! So the vibrations didn't last very long. Can't imagine having to wind up before using... eek. I think I would get frustrated.

Hugs and Kisses,
Lacy.

Unknown said...

We've come a long way, haven't we? Thank God for plastic!

Lacy Danes said...

yeah I totally agree... plastic and silicone are great!

Though glass and metal and stone also have wonderful qualities.

wink.
Lacy.

Crystal Jordan said...

I remember in a Women's History class I took in college, one of the Greek city-states had to give in during a war because their own women revolted and refused to have sex with them. Why? Because the city-state they'd gone to war with was their dildo supplier. Girl power!

Unknown said...

I love these pictures! I'm always writing about jade and ivory sex toys and those are the best pictures I've seen of them!

Lacy Danes said...

They are beautiful aren’t they Kate. I want to buy that top one. It is so pretty simply as a work of art!

They are selling them at http://www.coco-de-mer-shop.co.uk/

Lacy.

Lacy Danes said...

Wow i didn't know that story Crystal.

I can certainly understand their stand though!

wink.
hugs,
Lacy.

Anonymous said...

Wind up vibrators!?! Never mind plastic, thank gods for batteries!

Lacy Danes said...

Laughing, Seeley! Yes THANK GOD for batteries.

Grin,
Lacy.

Pam Rosenthal said...

These are beautiful. Thanks, Lacy. For some reason my fantasy dildo is clear lucite, for a woman to strap on. I come back to it in my writing again and again. Something about the virtual quality of it.

Lacy Danes said...

Pam,
Very sexy. I have never seen one personally but I can visualize it... the clear Lucite, strapped into the leather of a pink or red harness, catching the soft glow in the room as your lover comes towards you.

Yummy.
Lacy.

JRMullany said...

These are real works of art, Lacy. Thanks for posting them! I've always loved the idea of an ivory dildo--so politically incorrect on so many levels--kept in a piece of gorgeous silk, of course. In fact I think there's one knocking around in Forbidden Shores.

...as your lover comes towards you. or backs up towards you!

I've never heard of a clockwork vibrator though I did come up with the idea of the steam-powered Buzzing Jenny of the early 19th century. Not that such a thing ever existed (or did it?), it's just my odd imagination. You'd have to have a footman on call for more coals--or possibly just the footman.

Lacy Danes said...

Laughing Jane... indeed... backing up towards you would work in that visual too! Huge Grin.

After doing all the research on them I would love to own a Jade one. Some day...

As far as the wind up vibrator goes, if my memory is right, they were around in the early 1800's. The ones used for hysteria were in the Victorian times. I can’t remember what they were powered by.

The steam powered one sound yummy... nice and warm I imagine. And I think the foot man would do!

wink.
Lacy.