What? Old, silver, pornographic cigarette holder?

[AndrewUK]

Hi;

I was recently unpacking some old boxes. I found this item in it.

It is silver (I think), measures about 5cm high, 2cm deep and 8cm wide. On the front you can see a stylised pregnant woman holding the erect penis of a man to her right. There wis a silver mark on the back - please also see the zoomed in picture for that as well - but I could not find the silver mark on any registry.

I suspect it is less than 100 years old - I am guessing probably 65-75. I am pretty sure it was purchased in Europe (but I do not this it is Swedish or Russian). Perhaps French?

I'd like to know who the artist is, when it was actually made (admin edit, please read our forum rules)

Here are the links to the photos:
https://db.tt/XIh1uCft
https://db.tt/zV6ha8CV
https://db.tt/fDCETIHe

Many thanks
Andrew

[oel]

Hi welcome to the forum.

The man or fool foldeth his hands together.The woman, with one swift vicious move of her right arm and clenched fist, breaks fool's favourite tool.
Symbolic for Female Power to break Male Dominancy. I call it protest Art and others might call it pornograpic art because of the visible erection. I believe it to be Dutch or Belgian hence the maker's initials GvV and made out of silver plated pewter. Made in the seventies during the period of the “ Dolle Mina’s”, a feminist protest group claiming Baas in Eigen Buik; entitlement to free abortions equates with women having the right to manage their lives and make decisions about their own bodies.

Yes, it is a cigarette holder, in those days the Belgian Dolle Mina group had a slogan; "Vrouwen hebben ook recht op longkanker!" which translate to; "Women also have the right to get lung cancer!", to protest against the fact that women in Belgium were not like men allowed to smoke in the office during office hours.
http://www.rosadoc.be/ehbf/HelpFeminisme/dollemina.htm

Dolle Mina (Mad Mina) was a 1970s Dutch & Belgian feminist group which campaigned for equal rights for women. It was named after early Dutch feminist Wilhelmina Drucker.
Dolle Mina had a Marxist outlook, and brought attention to the struggle by women to gain equality in the trade unions, which routinely avoided expanding the rights of women members when it meant concessions by male "breadwinners". The group had activist campaigns, including protests and publications, to promote women's right to abortion, equal pay for equal work, childcare, and even access to public toilets.
Dolle Mina's protests lasted throughout the 1970s. They were characterized by their humour, often inverting gender roles. In 1970, the group co-organized a "Discrimination Fair" to draw attention to the issue of equal pay. Central to the debate was the Netherlands' failure to ratify the International Labour Organization Convention ILO-100, which mandated equal pay for equal work. The Netherlands ratified ILO-100 in 1971, although it did not have an immediate impact.

Enjoy your nice holder.

Oel.

[AndrewUK]

Wow.
Thank you very much for your response. How very interesting - and unexpected.

(admin edit - see Posting Requirements )

Andrew.

[WarrenKundis]

Excellent Oel, the next time I'm going to a protest or rally I'll call you.

Warren