# Turin Erotic Papyrus > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Turin_Erotic_Papyrus > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Turin_Erotic_Papyrus.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turin_Erotic_Papyrus > Source revision: 1355377978 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Ancient Egyptian papyrus scroll-painting For other uses of the term, see [Turin Papyrus (disambiguation)](/source/Turin_Papyrus_(disambiguation)). Turin Erotic Papyrus Fragments of the papyrus on display at the Museo Egizio, Turin Size length: 2.6 meters Created c. 1150 BC Discovered c. 1825 Deir el-Medina, Ottoman Egypt Present location Turin, Piedmont, Italy The **Turin Erotic Papyrus** (**Papyrus 55001**, also called the **Erotic Papyrus** or even **Turin Papyrus**) is an [ancient Egyptian](/source/Ancient_Egypt) [papyrus](/source/Papyrus) scroll-painting that was created during the [Ramesside Period](/source/Ramesside_Period), approximately in 1150 [B.C](/source/Anno_Domini).[1][2] Discovered in [Deir el-Medina](/source/Deir_el-Medina) in the early 19th century, it has been dubbed the "world's first men's mag"[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]. Measuring 8.5 feet (2.6 m) by 10 inches (25 cm), it consists of two parts, one of which contains twelve [erotic](/source/Eroticism) vignettes depicting various [sex positions](/source/Sex_position).[1] It is currently housed by the [Museo Egizio](/source/Museo_Egizio) in [Turin](/source/Turin), Italy. Full reproduction of the Erotic Papyrus on display at the Egyptian Museum of Turin ## Animal section The first third depicts [animals performing various human tasks](/source/Anthropomorphism). This part of the scroll-painting has been described as satirical and humorous.[1][3] ## Erotic section A detail of the erotic section The final two thirds of Turin Erotic Papyrus consist of a series of twelve [vignettes](/source/Vignette_(literature)) showing men and women in various [sexual positions](/source/Sexual_position).[1] The men in the illustrations are "scruffy, balding, short, and paunchy" with exaggeratedly large genitalia[4] and do not conform to Egyptian standards of physical attractiveness.[4][5] The women are nubile,[4][5] and they are shown with objects from traditional erotic [iconography](/source/Iconography), such as [convolvulus](/source/Convolvulus) leaves and, in some scenes, they are even holding items traditionally associated with [Hathor](/source/Hathor), the goddess of love, such as [lotus flowers](/source/Lotus_flower), monkeys, and [sistra](/source/Sistra).[4][5] The scroll was probably painted in the Ramesside period (1292–1075 BC).[1] Its high artistic quality indicates that it was produced either for a wealthy audience or by and for a group of [scribes](/source/Scribe_equipment_(hieroglyph)) or contour artists.[1] No other similar scrolls have yet been discovered.[5] Depictions of sexual intercourse were not part of the general repertory of ancient Egyptian formal art,[5] but rudimentary sketches of heterosexual intercourse have been found on pottery fragments and in graffiti.[5] The various male images have also been interpreted[*[by whom?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions)*] as a single protagonist, who has several encounters with a courtesan.[3] ## Uniqueness The severely damaged Erotic Papyrus is the only known erotic scroll-painting to have survived.[1] Modern audiences often misconceive that ancient Egyptian art is devoid of sexual themes.[1] After [Jean-François Champollion](/source/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Champollion) saw the papyrus in 1824 in [Turin](/source/Turin), he described it as "an image of monstrous obscenity that gave me a really strange impression about Egyptian wisdom and composure."[3][6] ## Purpose The real significance of the images is yet unknown since those fragments of text that have survived reasonably intact have so far not yielded any clear purpose for the Erotic Papyrus.[2] The text appears to have been hastily written in the margins and would seem to express enjoyment and delight: ... come behind me with your love, Oh! Sun, you have found out my heart, it is agreeable work...[2] According to French egyptologist Pascal Vernus, the papyrus is not intended to produce sexual excitement. Indeed, the apparent continuation between the animal section and the so-called "erotic" section suggests that the papyrus was intended to amuse members of the aristocracy by portraying absurd transgressions of aristocratic standards of behaviour.[3][7] ## See also - [List of ancient Egyptian papyri](/source/List_of_ancient_Egyptian_papyri) - [A Love Song of Shu-Suen](/source/Istanbul_2461) - an ancient Sumerian erotic poem - [Kama Sutra](/source/Kama_Sutra) - an ancient Indian text on sexuality - [Khajuraho Group of Monuments](/source/Khajuraho_Group_of_Monuments#Arts_and_sculpture) - Indian temples with extensive pornographic art - [Chungongtu](/source/Chungongtu) - a traditional erotic art in China - [Erotic art in Pompeii and Herculaneum](/source/Erotic_art_in_Pompeii_and_Herculaneum) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-oconnor2001_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-oconnor2001_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-oconnor2001_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-oconnor2001_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-oconnor2001_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-oconnor2001_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-oconnor2001_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-oconnor2001_1-7) David O'Connor *[Eros in Egypt](http://fontes.lstc.edu/~rklein/Documents/eros_in_egypt.htm).* *Archaeology Odyssey*, September–October, 2001 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-shokeir2004_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-shokeir2004_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-shokeir2004_2-2) A A Shokeir and M I Hussein. "[Sexual life in Pharaonic Egypt: towards a urological view](http://www.nature.com/ijir/journal/v16/n5/full/3901195a.html)." *International Journal of Impotence Research* (2004) 16, 385–388. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/sj.ijir.3901195](https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fsj.ijir.3901195) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-egyptancient_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-egyptancient_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-egyptancient_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-egyptancient_3-3) "[Erotic papyrus of Turin](http://www.egyptancient.net/erotic_papyrus.htm)." egyptancient.net 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-schmidt2000_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-schmidt2000_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-schmidt2000_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-schmidt2000_4-3) Schmidt, Robert A.; Voss, Barbara L. (2000). [*Archaeologies of Sexuality*](https://books.google.com/books?id=eSBVQpifqhkC&q=%22Turin+Papyrus%22&pg=PA254). Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Psychology Press. p. 254. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-415-22366-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-415-22366-9). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Gay1993_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Gay1993_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Gay1993_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Gay1993_5-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Gay1993_5-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Gay1993_5-5) Robins, Gay (1993). [*Women in Ancient Egypt*](https://archive.org/details/womeninancienteg00robi). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. pp. [189](https://archive.org/details/womeninancienteg00robi/page/189)–190. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-674-95469-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-95469-4). Turin erotic papyrus. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Champollin_quote_6-0)** The quote in the [original French](http://kemit.perso.neuf.fr/sexe/papyrus_erotique1.htm): "Ici un morceau du rituel funéraire,... et là des débris de peintures d'une obscénité monstrueuse et qui me donnent une bien singulière idée de la gravité et de la sagesse égyptienne..." 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Pascal_Vernus_7-0)** Pascal Vernus' lecture [Turin Erotic Papyrus: a codified transgression](http://live3.univ-lille3.fr/video-recherche/le-papyrus-erotique-de-turin-la-transgression-codifiee.html) at the Université Lille 3 on December 21, 2012. ## External links - ["Turin Erotic Papyrus"](http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/partytime/turin1.htm). *reshafim.org*.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service)); includes line art reconstruction of the scroll - [*Sex in the Ancient World: Egyptian Erotica (2009, History Channel)*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1495937/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Turin Erotic Papyrus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turin_Erotic_Papyrus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turin_Erotic_Papyrus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.