Provincial campfollower (prostitute) kit

[Carlton Bach]

Carlton Bach,

I can't believe I am asking this...but... :oops: I just need to know.

leather phalluses for use as dildos

Where on earth did you get this reference?

It might be relevant for my studies on the lorica musculata, and YES I'm serious. If they can make molded leather phalluses, they can certainly make molded leather armor.

Johns, Catherine: Sex or Symbol. Erotic Images of Greece and Rome, British Museum Publications, London 1982 discusses them in the context of ancient Greek heterosexual pornography. Generally, searching indices for 'olisbos' should help. Unfortunately, none have been found that i know of, spo the assumption that they are made of leather is based largely on the fact that Southern European penitentials in the 9th and 10th century mention leather as a material. Polished wood is equally possible, though some depictions show what looks like seams along the lower edge. Obviously, I can't speak for the relative merits of either material.

(these would be hell to reconstruct - I've been working on a hardening technique that stands up to warmth and moisture)

I don't want to know how you "field" test your "reconstruction", hock: but please Let me know what you've found out.

I am going to attempt to make molded leather tongue pteruges this January and I will happily share any thing I learn for your...ahem...little project. hock:

Actually, the hardening technique in question is for a pencase and lamellar armour for a frtied. Though if I manage an olisbos I think I'll enter it into an SCA competition, just for giggles.

My latest attempt (before real life intervened) was drying out the leather in a gentle oven, then hardening it by soaking in hide glue treated with 10% of dry weight alum for moiture resistance. Hide glue stands up to heat well above the boiling point, but is very water-sensitive. Alum reduces that. The technique works, but I haven't had the opportunity to destruct-test pieces yet.