Winged Penises? Ancient Indian Art Takes A Bizarre, NSFW Turn In This Series

Wellcome Library

When it comes to the idea of sex, India stands on an incredibly volatile platform, on one side we are credited with the ancient works of the kama sutra and all the exotic erotic trimmings that come with that title. But yet over time a sense of repression has crept under our collective cultural skin. Today sex in all its forms is treated as a subject of absolute taboo where mainstream media shies away from the very discussion.

One group of people that has always fought against this quelling of sexuality? The artists. Both in India and across the world whenever a sexual revolution was afoot, art was usually tangled up in the roots. Even now Indian artists are pushing boundaries to normalise the visual of erotica and an acceptance of the human form but as far back as the 1800’s artists were making waves with their take on society and its flawed perception of human sensuality.

In this set of these as yet uncredited images found in the Wellcome Library archives, we see a visceral depiction of sex in the 1800’s. Some come with a messages that are still pertinent, such as the normalisation of female masturbation, others speak volumes about the creeping influence of puritanical ideals as demons are pictured involved in ‘lewd’ acts. Some are nothing short of horrifying to the modern mind, such as acts of beastiality and what appears to be necrophilia. Then there are the pain ridiculous, from tree mounted masturbatory contraptions to winged phalli, but there’s never a dull moment.