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The Paris Review Daily ·For the curious

Murano Parsnips: the Unexpected Literary History of the Dildo

by Izabella Scott

Published 2026-10-22 12:00:20+00:00

How does a glass toy from Venice become a crime punishable by death?

0:00 / 12:57 · Narrator Algieba

Context

Museum archives are full of centuries-old dildos quietly cataloged as pestles or darning tools. In an essay published on 22 October 2026, the history of these objects moves past the bawdy jokes of Renaissance poetry to uncover a much sharper story. Beneath the comedy sits a deep, enduring panic about female autonomy. A device that makes men sexually obsolete is rarely treated as just a punchline. It is a threat, one that has provoked centuries of violent legal and social anxiety.

Show notes

A history of the dildo in English literature and European court records, following the object from its early appearances in Renaissance poetry to the luxury markets of Restoration London. The account details how these devices were disguised in satire, misclassified by modern museums, and used as evidence to prosecute women for same-sex relations.

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