An "extremely rare anti-masturbation device"

Antimasturbationdevice

I'm sure this didn't cause any psychological issues in the Catholic boys forced to wear this.

The rare 19th century item is made of copper and was designed to be worn by boys so they could not commit the 'sin'. Attached to a belt it would have encased the genitalia. The bizarre antique dates back to around 1880 and was used in Catholic France. It is being offered for sale on auction website eBay with a starting price of £750.

Seller David Burns, of Curious Science, says that during a quarter of a century dealing in medical curiosities he has never had one for sale... "This is the first example we have offered for sale in 24 years. The condition is excellent. Three and half inches top to base."

An "extremely rare anti-masturbation device"

Previously: Antique anti-masturbation device

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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Garnett Schuyler

Ouch.
- jerwin
  
  Ouch
Daniel Cooper

In 1800s Australian prisons (and British I imagine) they used to tie effectively ping-pong bats around your hands. Which would kind of suck.
petertrepan

Three and half inches top to base.

The Designer: “What? That’s average, right?”
- jandrese
  
  I think this device was designed for 7 year old choirboys.
  
  There is a dark irony when the priest then sexually abuses the boy.
http://2012diaries.blogspot.com/ tristan eldritch

Jesus. I’m glad these things are extremely rare.
Sagodjur

I could see someone buying this as their sole costume piece for Burning Man.
- http://www.nathanhornby.com/ Nathan Hornby
  
  It would make for a rather graphic codpiece.
- TheMudshark
  
  It does bear a certain likeness to Lord Humungus.
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    I had always imagined that Lord Humungus would be more, well, humungus.
http://twitter.com/mgmars Michael Mars

I saw this on Antiques Choadshow.
lknope

I like the incongruity of air holes in the testicular region to make this uncomfortable device a leeetle bit more comfortable.
- SomeGuyNamedMark
  
  Important to let the balls breath
nixiebunny

I’m guessing that it’s rare because any boy forced to wear this would immediately remove it and crush it into a tiny ball of evil copper.
SomeGuyNamedMark

Straight out of steampunk porn
vonbobo

“Every sperm is sacred”
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1177098042 Erik Denning

So unfair.
mobobo

where there’s a will there’s a…device to frustrate it.
Halloween_Jack

I’m still of the opinion that most objects like this were meant entirely for the same purpose as their modern counterparts–addressing a particular sexual fetish–and that the whole “Oh, no! They totally used to use these!” modern assertion that they were in more or less common use is part of the fantasy.
- blueelm
  
  Yeah, but then you read medical texts describing the process of curing female children of the urge to masturbate by burning their clitoris off with a hot iron.
  - jerwin
    
    I don’t think Plain Facts for Old and Young deserves to be called a medical text, but it’s pretty horrific.
    - http://theladyfingers.blogspot.com/ Ladyfingers
      
      America never seemed to fully recover from Kellogg and his ilk.
  - Halloween_Jack
    
    Yes, but that’s the sort of thing that can’t be undone. Most of the locks on these sorts of devices seem to be of the sort that could be undone by someone with a bent hairpin.
thecleaninglady

Remember, the people writing your laws were subjected to shaming and often pain in relationship to their sexuality. Also, regular beatings and humiliation.

Explains why they are acting as they are acting.

Fun fact: research shows that widespread changes in society are preceded by widespread adoption of new parenting practices (Robin Grille’s Parenting for a Peaceful World).
- http://mysite.verizon.net/~vze2tmhh/ pduggie
  
  helicopter parenting vs the free range parenting
http://twitter.com/digitalArtform Joseph Francis

Wow. Seems like a lot of trouble. Couldn’t they just use Graham crackers?
jerwin

The definitive article on this sort of quackery is ^ Bullough, Vern (1987). “Technology for the Prevention of ‘les maladies produites par la masturbation”. Technology and Culture (Johns Hopkins University Press) 28 (4): 828–832. doi:10.2307/3105184. JSTOR 3105184.PMID 11612372
http://mysite.verizon.net/~vze2tmhh/ pduggie

In 150 years we’ll have the waterboard from the dad who waterboarded his daughter sold as a antique “extremely rare” disciplinary board from the early 21st century and think it says something about the general culture of the USA.
- BrotherPower
  
  …and both things will be true.
voiceinthedistance

I’ve heard of brass balls before, but this is ridiculous.

BTW: I wonder how this was secured at the top? And where do the electrodes attach?
- http://profiles.google.com/westcarleton Ray Perkins
  
  There’s a row of small holes at the top for attaching to a belt. Strange looking colander, though.
Palomino

Looks like a strap-on to me. And copper is good birth control
http://twitter.com/smknghrtdesigns SmokingHeartDesigns

That will conduct like crazy.
http://www.facebook.com/matthew.hardinger Matthew Ivan Hardinger

The blacksmith that that made this was whispering “Oh dear, oh my” and giggling to himself.
Thad

The good news is …it’s extremely rare!