Venetian chastity belt on display in the Doge's palace. (Claimed to be 16th–17th century.)

A chastity belt is a locking item of clothing designed to prevent sexual intercourse and possibly masturbation. The purpose may also be to protect the wearer from rape or temptation. Devices have been created for males and females. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1728x2304, 1037 KB) Summary Venetian chastity belt (I cant remember the age in the label, possibly 16th century?), taken in the Doges Palace in July 2006 by me —Steven G. Johnson NOTE: Like other European museum specimens of old... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1728x2304, 1037 KB) Summary Venetian chastity belt (I cant remember the age in the label, possibly 16th century?), taken in the Doges Palace in July 2006 by me —Steven G. Johnson NOTE: Like other European museum specimens of old... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venezsia, Latin: Venetia) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,251 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ... Doges Palace. ... Locksmithing began as the science and art of making and defeating locks. ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... Woman masturbating, 1913 drawing by Gustav Klimt. ... A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. ...

The term "chastity belt" is also used metaphorically in modern English to imply over protectiveness. The term carries a derisive connotation and may also imply that the subject is antiquated, or is cumbersome, or provides unnecessary or ineffective protection. Look up metaphor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

History

Chastity belts are surrounded by myths and folklore. The most common of these myths is that they were first used by crusading knights on their wives. There is, however, no evidence of the existence of chastity belts until the 15th century—more than one hundred years after the last Crusade. Their actual use, if any, of medieval chastity belts would have been very limited, as the metalworking of the times would have made it difficult to fashion a belt safe for long-term wear.^[1] This article is about the medieval crusades. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ...

The Bellifortis sketch.

16th century satirical German woodcut

Excerpt from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser. The entire patent document: Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The first known mention of chastity belts in the West is in Konrad Kyeser von Eichstätt's Bellifortis, a ca. 1400 book describing the military technology of the era. The book includes a drawing that is accompanied by the Latin text: "Est florentinarum hoc bracile dominarum ferreum et durum ab antea sic reseratum." ("These are hard iron breeches of Florentine women which are closed at the front.") The belt in this drawing is described by Dingwall as "both clumsy and heavy", having "little in common with the later models which served the same use".^[2] The Bellifortis account is not supported by any evidence or corroborating documents. Image File history File links A 14th-century sketch of a chastity belt in Bellifortis, a book on military technology by a retired soldier. ... Image File history File links A 14th-century sketch of a chastity belt in Bellifortis, a book on military technology by a retired soldier. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (756x979, 382 KB) Summary A 16th-century German satirical colored woodcut whose general theme is the uselesness of chastity belts in ensuring the faithfulness of beautiful young wives married to old ugly husbands. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (756x979, 382 KB) Summary A 16th-century German satirical colored woodcut whose general theme is the uselesness of chastity belts in ensuring the faithfulness of beautiful young wives married to old ugly husbands. ... Download high resolution version (1024x963, 312 KB)Excerpt from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser, depicting a lockable male anti-masturbation belt. ... Download high resolution version (1024x963, 312 KB)Excerpt from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser, depicting a lockable male anti-masturbation belt. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... For other uses, see Patent (disambiguation). ... Download high resolution version (768x1128, 250 KB)Page 1 from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser, depicting a lockable male anti-masturbation belt. ... Download high resolution version (768x1128, 248 KB)Page 2 from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser, depicting a lockable male anti-masturbation belt. ... Download high resolution version (768x1128, 203 KB)Page 3 from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser, depicting a lockable male anti-masturbation belt. ... Download high resolution version (768x1128, 649 KB)Page 4 from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser, depicting a lockable male anti-masturbation belt. ... Download high resolution version (768x1128, 731 KB)Page 5 from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser, depicting a lockable male anti-masturbation belt. ... Download high resolution version (768x1128, 100 KB)Page 6 from US Patent 995600 by Jonas E. Heyser, depicting a lockable male anti-masturbation belt. ... Konrad Kyeser (1366 – after 1405) war a military engineer, author of Bellifortis (ca. ... Konrad Kyeser (1366 – after 1405) war a military engineer, author of Bellifortis (ca. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ... Konrad Kyeser (1366 – after 1405) war a military engineer, author of Bellifortis (ca. ...

In 1889, a leather-and-iron belt was found by A. M. Pachinger—a German collector of antiquities—in Linz, Austria in a grave on a skeleton of a young woman. The woman was purportedly buried sometime in the 16th century. Pachinger, however, could not find any record of the woman's burial in the town archives. The belt itself, along with most of the rest of Pachinger's collection, has been lost. The Poestlingberg church in Linz. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...

Two belts have been exhibited at the Musée de Cluny in Paris. The first, a simple velvet-covered hoop and plate of iron, was supposedly worn by Catherine de' Medici. The other—said to have been worn by Anna of Austria—is a hinged pair of plates held about the waist by metal straps, featuring intricately etched figures of Adam and Eve.^[2] There are other such belts at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg and the British Museum in London. Most have been removed from display because the authenticity of these belts as Renaissance devices has since been called into question.^[3] The Musée de Cluny as viewed from the nearby park The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry Thermes de Cluny: caldarium The Musée de Cluny, officially known as Musée National du Moyen Âge, is a museum in Paris, France. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) The Eiffel Tower in Paris, as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Catherine de Medici (April 13, 1519 – January 5, 1589) was born in Florence, Italy, as Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici, the daughter of Lorenzo II de Medici, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de la Tour dAuvergne, countess of Boulogne. ... Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (September 22, 1601 - January 20, 1666) was Queen Consort of France and Regent for her son, Louis XIV of France. ... Germanisches Nationalmuseum, founded in Nuremberg, Germany in 1852, houses a significant collection of items relating to German culture and art extending from prehistoric times through to the present day. ... Nuremberg (German: ) is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. ... The British Museum in London, England is one of the worlds greatest museums of human history and culture. ... The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ...

From the 1700s through the 1930s, masturbation was widely regarded as harmful in Western medicine. Numerous mentions can be found in medical journals of the time of the use of chastity belt-like devices to prevent masturbation in children and adolescents.^[4] Woman masturbating, 1913 drawing by Gustav Klimt. ... Woman masturbating, 1913 drawing by Gustav Klimt. ...

Many designs for many anti-masturbation devices were filed in the US Patent Office until the debunking of masturbation as a mental health problem in the early 1930s. ^[5] Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... For other uses, see Patent (disambiguation). ...

Non-Western history

Some Vaishnava sadhus (ascetic practitioners of the Hindu faith) have a tradition of wearing arbandh—or metal balls or cups enclosing the penis—for decades at a time as a way of demonstrating their strict celibacy and dedication to austerity.[1][2] Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i. ... In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an ascetic or practitioner of yoga (yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three Hindu goals of life: kama (pleasure), artha (wealth and power) and even dharma (duty). ... An ascetic is one who practices a renunciation of worldly pursuits to achieve spiritual attainment. ... A Hindu ( , Devanagari: हिन्दु), as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, and the religious, philosophical and cultural system that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

News and trivia

• In 1998, racial riots against the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia prompted the production and sale of "anti-rape corsets" by Simon Sanjava of West Java. These devices were of Florentine design with a waistband and a single crotch strap with no holes for going to the toilet. They were made of imitation leather and steel and were secured with a combination lock.^[6]

• In April, 2002, the Uwe Koetter Jewellers company of Cape Town, South Africa completed and delivered a spectacular diamond and pearl-encrusted chastity belt made of gold to a British customer. The belt reportedly cost R160,000 and was a wedding gift from a husband-to-be for his bride to wear at their wedding.^[7]

• In August, 2002, Korean clothing manufacturer Intarsia briefly offered a line of lockable womens' panties, ostensibly to prevent spur-of-the-moment sexual assaults.^[8]

• On February 6, 2004, USA Today reported that in at Athens airport in Greece, a woman's steel chastity belt had triggered a security alarm at the metal detector. The woman explained that her husband had forced her to wear the device to prevent an extramarital affair while she was on vacation in Greece. She was allowed to continue her flight to London on the pilot's authority. The incident was said to have happened just before Christmas in 2003.^[9] The incident was also reported by Weekly World News.^[10]

• In November, 2006, photographs of Lucio Gubbio's hand-wrought iron chastity belts were published in newspapers including the Seoul Times,^[11] and CRI Online.^[12] Although Gubbio's company, MedioEvo, claims that their chastity belts' designs are from the Middle Ages on their website [3], a company spokesperson acknowledged that there is no proof that devices such as these were actually used.

Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Map showing West Java in Indonesia West Java (Jawa Barat) is a province of Indonesia, located on the island of Java. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Province Western Cape Mayor Helen Zille Area  - % water 2,499 km² N/A Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Not ranked 2,893,251 1,158/km² Established 1652 Time zone SAST (UTC+2... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Modern use

Today, chastity belts are sometimes used in BDSM play and in consensual relationships. They are a means for the wearer to surrender control over their sexual behavior either for sexual play, or as a long-term method of preventing infidelity or masturbation. They range from simple leather or plastic toys commonly sold by adult stores to expensive high-security stainless steel devices made by a handful of specialist firms. // A collar is a common symbol in BDSM. Female bottom in bondage with leather monoglove BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. ...

Most modern chastity belt designs are descended from Hal Higginbottom's designs from 1956.^[13] Sometimes modern Florentine-style belts are described as "Tollyboy-style" or "Tollyboy-type" belts as references to his company's original design.

Human anatomy varies very widely from person to person and steel belts intended for long-term use are bespoke items. The manufacture of such belts is necessarily a cottage industry. Many firms have come and gone over the years. Notable amongst those who have stopped manufacturing chastity belts since the 1980s are: Bespoke is a usually British English term for clothing made at a customers behest, and exactly to the customers specification. ...

• Access Denied (Paul Tooker of New York; closed after his death)
• Herbert Rossmann (Austria)
• In Discretione Fortitudo (Nifrik Scylla of the Netherlands)
• Reinholds (Germany)
• Pourquoi Pas (Germany)
• Atelier Mode (Cologne, Germany)

Although no reliable statistics are available on the use of chastity belts, anecdotal reports from manufacturers suggest that most belts sold in Europe and the US are for men, and that of the female belts ordered, relatively few are used as rape prevention devices.^[14]

Belt types

A modern female William Jones belt with an atypical integrated radial lock.

Modern chastity belt designs generally follow the basic "Florentine" pattern (named after the Bellifortis reference), with a band around the waist or hips and a "shield" running between the legs to cover the genitals. Download high resolution version (652x644, 31 KB)Front view of a female Jones chastity belt. ... Download high resolution version (652x644, 31 KB)Front view of a female Jones chastity belt. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

On belts intended for long-term wear, this shield must accommodate the wearer's hygienic needs:

• For females, the shield is commonly a flat band with a slot through which the labia can protrude and through which urine can pass. Some manufacturers fit a perforated cover (sometimes called the "secondary shield") over this slot to prevent the wearer from being pinched when sitting. The cover may also prevent direct masturbation by blocking the labia from touch.
• For males, the shield usually covers a tube in which the penis is held facing downward, with perforations at the bottom of the shield to allow urine to escape. The testicles are left exposed on both sides of the tube. Some designs feature a tube curved tightly to discourage erections. Chastity cages are devices in which similar tubes are used on their own, without a supporting belt.
• Belts with a "thong" arrangement have a single strap running up between the buttocks to the waistband. On some, this is a plastic-coated cable or a thin, curved metal rod. This strap may or may not be loose enough to pull aside, depending on whether the fit of the belt is to protect against anal penetration. On other designs, the rear strap is solid with an aperture over the anus to allow passage of feces.
• Belts with a "V"-arrangement have a pair of chains attached together the bottom of the shield and apart towards the back of waistband in a "V" to leave the rear open.
• On both male and female belts, the shield can be designed to work with genital piercings for greater security.

Most modern belts fasten with padlocks. Some high-security designs nest the lock within a shroud to make it more difficult to attack with bolt cutters. A handful of manufacturers, however, do offer higher-priced models with integral locks for a sleeker profile. A chastity device similar to a chastity belt in that it prevents sexual intercourse. ... Padlock A modern padlock. ... Bolt cutters A bolt cutter is a scissors-like tool used for cutting heavy chains, bolts and wire mesh. ...

Wear and use

Before purchasing a chastity belt, it is advisable to clarify one's goals and to balance them against the potential physical and mental discomfort.

• For a custom made stainless steel belt to fit comfortably, accurate measurements must be taken. Although most manufacturers will accept submitted measurements or offer a self-measuring kit, it is still advisable for the wearer to be measured by the manufacturer in person. Steel belts are expensive to modify, and poor measurements can result in a belt that chafes or pinches; in particular, a badly-fitted male belt can compress the genitals in a potentially harmful manner.
• Waist belts can make vigorous sporting activity very uncomfortable because they make bending forwards or sideways at the hips difficult. Weight gain or a protruding belly can also make the fitting of a waist belt difficult, or render an existing belt uncomfortable for constant wear. Most manufacturers offer hip belts which may be more suitable; these have a low-set waistband which follow the curve of the hips instead of the waist.
• The choice of materials used in the belt is also important: some plastics, alloys (especially those containing nickel), and rubber (such as that used in neoprene) may cause allergic contact dermatitis after constant contact with the skin.
• Devices made entirely of plastic, as well as plastic single-use verifiable closures, are available for wearers who must travel through airports or other places where metal detectors are used.

Most modern chastity belts are carefully designed for long-term, continuous wear. However, they can still cause the wearer subtle and unexpected physical difficulties. An alloy is a homogeneous mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic properties. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nickel, Ni, 28 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 4, d Appearance lustrous, metallic and silvery with a gold tinge Standard atomic weight 58. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Neoprene is the DuPont Chemical trade name for a family of synthetic rubbers based on polychloroprene. ...

• A "breaking-in" period of intermittent wear, paired with adjustment of a steel belt by bending, is advisable with new belts.
• Long term wearers should regularly check themselves for Bruising, edema, pressure sores and chafing.
• The bulk of the belt can make it visible under a tight garment; swimsuits, stretch jeans and clothing with fitted bodices, for example, may be impractical if the belt is to remain concealed in public.
• For belts with a "thong" arrangement, access to a bidet can greatly simplify hygiene. Baby wipes may also be helpful, especially when traveling.
• The belt must also drain well enough to prevent water and bodily fluids from being trapped against the skin. Wet skin that is not allowed to "breathe" can chafe or flare into a rash. A hairdryer may be helpful for drying difficult-to-reach areas of skin after bathing.
• During long term wear, the belt should be removed regularly to clean off accumulated skin, urine, and other deposits. Care should be taken to clean parts of the belt that are in constant contact with the body.

A bruise or contusion or ecchymoses is a kind of injury, usually caused by blunt impact, in which the capillaries are damaged, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding tissue. ... This page is about the condition called edema. ... Bedsores, also called pressure sores or decubitus ulcers, are ulcers (sores) caused by prolonged pressure or rubbing on vulnerable areas of the body. ... A toilet (left) and a bidet (right). ... A rash is a change in skin which affects its color, appearance or texture. ...

See also

• Chastity cage
• Ball bag
• Erotic sexual denial
• Kali's teeth bracelet
• Purity ring
• Sexual abstinence

A chastity device similar to a chastity belt in that it prevents sexual intercourse. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Erotic sexual denial, also known as orgasm denial, is a sexual practice where a person is kept in the plateau phase of the human sexual response cycle for an extended length of time. ... Named after the Hindu goddess Kali, the Kalis teeth bracelet is often used as a form of chastity device (see chastity belts) for men. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

References

Vern L. Bullough is an American historian and sexologist. ... Hillary Rodham Clinton on the cover of the Weekly World News. ...

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Chastity belts

• A Young Persons Guide to Chastity Belts (history and general information)

• Altairboy's Chastity Belt Website
• Locked In Steel
• Chastity UK
• Jan Thor
• LockMeUp Discussion Boards
• Locknkeep.com
• YourKeys Vanilla and Spice
• DIY chastity belt instructions