Between the Moulin Rouge cabaret and Place Pigalle, Paris's red-light district, lies the Museum of Eroticism. It opened in 1997, but has already become one of the largest museums of this kind in the world. Across seven floors there are permanent and temporary exhibitions of all kinds of objects - paintings, statuettes, photographs, and other exhibits, and they are united by one thing - all of them are devoted to erotica and sexual pleasure.
The history of the Museum of Eroticism began with the private collections of two people - an antiquarian and a teacher. Today, in the museum's halls you can find both incredibly ancient objects of erotic art from India, Africa, and Japan, as well as contemporary art objects of a frivolous theme, toys, and mysterious devices. The museum is divided into thematic zones; for example, one floor is devoted entirely to prostitution and legal brothels in 19th-20th century France.
In addition, the museum explores in detail the history of humanity's most basic instinct and its differences across cultures. Here there are depictions of erotic pleasures from ancient times, statuettes of fertility and love deities from different peoples, drawings and photographs, and examples of pornographic products from different eras. As a keepsake from visiting the museum, you can buy interesting souvenirs - statuettes, postcards, or special jewelry for intimate body parts.
