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!