The Anthology of Sex Toys

Sex toys have survived civilization after civilization. They have been molded from every possible material, into every size and shape imaginable.

The sex toy is a true testament to men and women's urge to pleasure and satisfy. The life of the sex toy can be traced back through a massive time line and is believed to start as far back as pre-historic times where rocks were smoothed down into the shape of an erect penis shaft, although historians still argue this.

The next sign of sex toys is in the early Egyptian period with artwork showing nearly nude women dancing, holding large penis shaped sculptures for Osiris, God of life, death, and fertility. It is also said that to increase their fertility, Egyptian women would masturbate a top the stone of Phallus, God of the sun. The trend continues and travels to Greece, where the creation of the olisbos occurs. Olisbos is Greek for the modern day word dildo. The Greeks are one of the only civilizations to see masturbation as a gift from the gods for both men and women alike. They used such materials as wood, leather, and stone to make dildos.

Using these materials however could prove irritating, so it is no wonder that the Greeks were the first to use a lubricant with their sex toys, olive oil. Next we travel to China during the Han Dynasty where huge molds of realistic penis' made of bronze were discovered in a tomb and thought to be used by rich palace tenants on their concubines. These are indeed the first form of today's penis extension.

The next stop in the history the sex toy is not the invention of a new toy but rather that of a new material. In the mid 19th century rubber was able to be vulcanized (treating it at high temperatures with sulfur) and became more flexible and increased its elasticity. Perfect for every type of toy thinkable.

Following the milestone in rubber improvements came the invention of the first vibrating sex toy. Although in that time it was promoted as a massager and instead of being used for sexual stimulation, it was said to be a cure for a then common medical condition for women called female hysteria. Female Hysteria was believed to consist of anxiety, irritation and deviant sexual fantasies among other symptoms. The word hysteria itself is Greek for suffering uterus. Now obviously this so called disease was later chalked up to be plain old sexual arousal for women, but the vibrator lived on and continued to evolve.

Vibratos, along with many other types of sex toys were now being used in the newest form of motion picture cinema, pornography. No longer could catalogs such as sears sell vibrators as massagers when it was clearly evident what they were becoming associated with. This however, would not discourage the sex toy. Soon the vibrator and dildo became one.

The first vibrating dildo was made in the early 20th century and the evolution did not stop there. KY jelly was invented to assist in comfort and lubrication but was only available by prescription. It wasn't until 1980 that it was made available for over the counter purchase. Soon after that came the use of latex rubber. This was an even softer, lighter, and more pliable than vulcanized rubber. Quickly becoming the new material for dildos, vibes, and even condoms.

Time continued and times changed. The introduction of Playboy magazine and other such publications only kept the momentum of sex toys moving forward as more people saw and accepted the purpose of toys themselves. The love moment in the 1960's also played a huge factor in bringing acceptance to sex toys as masturbation and self-satisfaction became much more prominent in conversation and practice.

To combat the growing popularity of sex toys some states in the U.S. such as Alabama and Georgia went as far as banning them all together, punishable by fines and even jail time. Much debate was had about this saying it was against constitutional rights, and the ban was eventually overturned.

We are now in the 21st century watching shows like the Sue Johanson Sex Show and Sex in the City; the acceptance and popularity of the sex toy have never been higher. Dildos, vibrators, extensions, and pumps; anything your sexual appetite can desire, can surely be fulfilled. Without a doubt, the sex toy is definitely here to stay.