Gill’s Monolith
Maker: Unknown, found objects
Rubber Dildo, c. Late 19th C. Height 24cm, girth 31cm, Mounted on WWI Trench Art.
Museum no: C.317
The monolith is a cumbersome rubber sex aid generously donated by Gill, who plucked it from the filthy bed of the Thames near Richmond during the annual draw-off*.
It is imbued with magical properties, and it is said that touching its crown will bless you with a vigorous sex life.
We are proud to include it in our collection of sexual relics. It is mounted on a piece of WWI Trench Art for dramatic purposes.
*During the Richmond draw-off, water is let out of the lock for maintenance. Licensed mudlarks are invited to explore hitherto unexplored and usually unreachable parts of the river.
KEEPER’S NOTES: This bona varding, swishing Molly will not fail to turn your oysters up.
A cross-dressing milkman who regularly visited the city's many molly houses, Gabriel was convicted and hanged for the act of sodomy in 1726. Gabriel’s close friend, the potter Thomas Tyler, created the original work in tribute to his life and spirit.
The figurine of Gabriel is now lovingly remade by third-generation makers in Stoke-on-Trent. It portrays Gabriel in classic Rococo style, imitating delicate pastoral designs favoured by the famous Bow Porcelain Factory. Assembled by hand and decorated using traditional techniques, each piece is unique in its finishing.
*Limited edition
READ GABRIEL'S STORY