Infant identification kit, USA, c.1925. This infant identification kit was manufactured by J A Deknatel & Son Inc. in New York. Deknatel Name-On Beads were used to make up necklaces bearing letters that spelled out an infant’s name. In many hospitals today matching identification bracelets are worn by mother and child as a security measure against babies being switched or stolen. A626425, The Science Museum, London.

Chastity belt, iron and velvet, European, probably 19th century. This chastity belt is made of two metal panels joined by a hinge. The front panel has a hole for urination and the rear panel has a hole for defecation. It originally had a red velvet lining. Chastity belts were thought to have been invented in the Middle Ages to prevent women from engaging in sexual intercourse. However, it has recently been argued that they are nothing more than Victorian myths. Although the documentation connected with this object claims that it may date to the 16th century, it is more likely that it was made in the 19th century. A641274, The Science Museum, London.

Fruit containing erotic scenes, porcelain, Chinese, acquired before 1936. Different societies have perceived sex in a variety of ways. Each of these objects depicts a sexual scene, celebrating the pleasures of this sensual activity. The pleasure is, however, concealed. A641133, A641134, A641135, The Science Museum, London.

Phallic amulet, bronze, Graeco-Roman, 100 BCE - 400 CE. This phallic amulet incorporates the hindquarters of a galloping horse and is in solid bronze. Amulets such as these were worn as symbols of fertility and strength. A97578, The Science Museum, London.

Oil painting of a birth scene, oil on paper, possibly French, 1800. 44694i, Wellcome Library.

Leather containers such as this were made to hold the umbilical cords of girls. They were generally attached to a baby’s cradle and were believed to be lifelong protective amulets. They are turtle-shaped since it was believed that the turtle presided over the diseases of women.