You know how one link leads to another on the internet? Well, today I somehow went from watching tornado videos on YouTube (This one's incredible, if you're into that sort of thing) to browsing erotic art from Pompeii on Wikipedia...which is how I came across the image at left. According to the article, this is a fresco from a brothel, depicting a prostitute in the cowgirl position with her john. But what's driving me absolutely fucking insane is wondering what that black thing on her left knee is. It looks to me like a legless ferret, but unless the ancient Romans were even kinkier than I thought, I'm probably off base.I just hope someone out there does know what this thing is, because otherwise, the question is going to haunt me until the day I die.
2 comments:
I've been reading your blog since the beginning, but I finally feel moved to comment by this.
You see, I did my degrees in Classics at uni. And I kind of did an unofficial bit of side-research into unusual Roman sex practices. Basically...it's a catfish. It really is.
And yes, whatever you can think of doing with it... they probably did.
On a related note, this image might also interest you. It's misidentified on the site, though -- it's actually a Panisca (a female Satyr) in the engraving.
It fills me with all sorts of ideas. I wonder if it does for you.
Thanks for the explanation! Interestingly enough, some friends from another online life also took a look at the image and thought they saw a catfish, but I wasn't convinced. Hearing from someone with a degree in Classics is much more persuasive, though. And thanks for the picture of the female Satyr - I didn't even know there was such a thing, but she's really lovely. ;-)
So...it really is a catfish. A fish with stinging spines. I really *don't* want to think about how those could be used in bed!
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