Erotic Papyrus

Erotic Papyrus

During the 19th century, the famous French orientalist Jean-François Champollion already referred to the erotic-satirical papyrus in Turin as “an image of monstrous obscenity”. The papyrus reached Italy’s Drovetti collection in 1824 and was soon a hot topic of debate. The precious and unique artifact was found in Deir el-Medina, an old settlement of craftsmen and artists in Ancient Thebes. There lived the artisans who works in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens.

A Unique Artifact

The painted scroll of the Erotic Papyrus of Turin originated from the period 1186–1017 B.C. and in spite of its age – 3,200 years – the 2.59 m long and 21 cm wide papyrus is well preserved. Thus, the exceptional pictures could be studied, delivering an insight into a chapter of ancient Egyptian culture that was previously completely unknown. A part of the scroll presents satirical drawings of animal figures doing human activities: playing musical instruments, dressed as soldiers, or playing board games. The remaining surface is filled with the erotic depictions that lend the manuscript its name: twelve explicit scenes of erotic positions.

A Much Studied Object

The Erotic Papyrus of Turin was probably the possession of a high-ranking person in ancient Egpyt. This is the only known ancient Egyptian papyrus with erotic depictions and has been the subject of intense study since its discovery. A wonderful testimonial thereof is the so-called Calco de pinturas egipcias in the Spanish National Library in Madrid. The paper scroll from the collection of Luis de Usoz (1805–1865), who lived in Italy at the time of the arrival of the Drovetti collection, presents a copy of the erotic depictions of the Papyrus. This historic copy is a wonderful resource for the study of the unique drawings!