The Prague Museum of Historical Chamber Pots & Toilets, founded in 2003, will be relocating its rare collection of chamber pots from the outskirts of the Czech capital to Old Town by the end of the year so visitors can experience some of the world’s most unconventional and unsung historical artifacts.
“The museum was created by accident,” explains Renata Sedlackova, the museum owner. “We bought a medieval fortress near Prague and there were Gothic and Baroque toilets inside. That’s how we became interested in toilets and how they looked throughout history – and the fact that people were removing excrement from their homes to prevent epidemics.”
Featuring over 2,000 exhibits, the collection, the largest of its kind in the world, celebrates this neglected yet indispensable part of culture both from an artistic standpoint and a utilitarian one.
Among its most notable pieces are chamber pots commissioned for Emperor Napoleon, the Titanic, the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House in 1892 – believed to have served as many as seventeen American presidents – and the Chinese Emperor Chi-Lung. The oldest piece dates back to the 15th century.
Whether considered chamber pots, toilets or thrones, one thing is certain: these humble receptacles of human waste are the great equalizer of man given that they are visited by commoners and kings alike – a matter that comes as a great relief.
Sources: Museum of Historical Chamber Pots & Toilets, Fodors.com, Euronews.com
