[This very unusual product design brings together concepts of telepresence after death and telepresence and sexuality; designer Mark Sturkenboom’s website says it allows a widow to “have an intimate night with her sweetheart again.” The story is from Dose, where it features more images; more coverage, including in Mashable, appeared earlier this year. –Matthew]
Do You Know Anyone Who Could Use This Sex Toy? Its Unique Function is Both Sad and Odd
Posted Nov 24, by Brandon Siewert
Losing any loved one is a heartbreaking experience, but for someone who loses their lifelong spouse, it can be particularly devastating. There are a million ways to cope with such a loss, but seemingly no way to fully overcome it.
While some simply want rest from thinking and talking about their lost spouse, others cope by cherishing keepsakes. For widows who prefer the latter, designer Mark Sturkenboom has created a product that, well, allows them to cherish their lost loved one in “new” ways…
Sturkenboom used his design skills to create what is easily his most unique product yet: a vibrator [based on the designer’s description it’s a dildo but doesn’t vibrate -ML] designed to hold the ashes of a widow’s once spouse?…
The odd sex toy, called “21 Grams” is named after how much of a loved one’s ashes the device can hold.
On his website, the Dutch designer describes his creation as a means for grief-stricken widows to revisit the “intimate memories of a lost beloved one.”
But that’s not all. The quizzical vibrator comes with a kit, which includes an array of nostalgic and sentimental features.
“In the back of the cabinet there is room for an iPhone, the music plays through the flowers on the inside of the cabinet. The key to this cabinet is also a golden collier. So that she is the only one who can access the cabinet.” The kit also comes with a cologne/perfume container as well.
So whether you see “21 Grams” as an extremely bizarre means of coping, or a unique way for a widow to reconnect with her lost spouse, you can’t deny Sturkenboom’s ability to think outside the box.
“By bringing different nostalgic moments together like the scent of his perfume, ‘their’ music, reviving the moment he gave her first ring opens a window to go back to moments of love and intimacy.”