French Aristocrats Debut 'Luxury' Condoms

There's certainly a market for luxury cars and luxury condos. But what about luxury condoms?

A pair of self-described French aristocrats have launched a high-end condom company that aims to offer customers protection -- as well as an air of prestige.

The minds behind The Original Condom Co. say there is a demand for classier prophylactics in the same way there is a demand for luxury brands like Rolls Royce, Cartier and Dior.

"There [is] always a need for quality, good taste and beautiful objects," said vice president Count Gil de Bizemont, who co-founded the company with His Royal Highness the Prince Charles Emmanuel de Bourbon Parme after passing through the town of Condom, France.

"It is sexy to care about yourself and to want to pamper and provide yourself with the very best."

For de Bizemont, that means choosing neatly packaged prophylactics that come in a little black box instead of an ordinary foil wrapper.

"Would you be proud to have a traditional condom on your table when your mom visits you? With a nude woman on the box or something that says lubed or ribbed all over it?" he asked.

According to de Bizemont, many people judge a rubber by its cover.

"The luxurious presentation of our product removes any negative stigma associated with a woman who cares enough about herself to be sure to carry along an Original Condom box in her purse, or for a male to leave it on the nightstand without perceptions shifting about expectations, as they definitely should not nowadays," he explained.

De Bizemont says his company's condoms are far more upscale than the competition -- and it shows in the price tag.

The Original Condom comes in suede-lined black boxes purportedly "inspired by the world of jewelery," which contain three prophylactics for $13.50, or six for $20. Customers can buy refills for $2 apiece.

The company says it shares part of its earnings with nonprofits that fight HIV and AIDS, and shows its commitment to an eco-friendly business model by helping develop new forests and manufacturing its condoms on a rubber-tree plantation in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions by eliminating excess transport of raw materials.

The fancy condoms are already on sale online. In January, they'll be offered at some "higher-end retailers" and hotels, according to de Bizemont.

It appears there's nothing stopping the condom brand from growing -- if, in fact, sex does sell.

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Frogner Gustav Vigeland Sculpture Park In Norway, Oslo

The Vigeland Park or Frogner Park is a public park located in Frogner, Oslo. It consists of various bridges, fountains and statues by Vigeland. The Vigeland Park is the largest park in the city and covers 320 hectares. The area was ready for Gustav Vigeland fountain in 1924 and the final plan was released in 1932 by the city-council. The park covers 80 acres (320,000 m2) and features 212 bronze and granite sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland. Together with the gates which are forged of granite and wrought iron, the Main Gate serves as an entrance to the park itself. It consists of five large gates, two small pedestrian gates and two copper-roofed gate houses, both adorned with weathervanes.

The Main Gate was designed in 1926, redesigned in the 1930s and erected in 1942. It was financed by a Norwegian bank. at Kirkeveien, the sculptural park consists of 7 parts.

* Frognerbroen with 58 bronse-sculptures and 4 groups of "lizards" in granite.
* The children-square with 9 small children-sculptures made of bronse.
* The labyrinth-square with the fountain.
* The floors
* The monolith-plateu with 8 artistic gates, sirclestairs and the 17 metre-tall Monolith.

58 of the park's sculptures reside along the Bridge, a 100 meter (328 ft) long, 15 meter (49 ft) wide connection between the Main Gate and the Fountain. All are clad in bronze and contribute to the “Human Condition” theme of the park. Here visitors will find one of the parks more popular statues, Sinnataggen or “Angry Boy”.

In 1940 the Bridge was the first part of the park to be opened to the public. Visitors could enjoy the sculptures while most of the park was still under construction. At the end of the bridge lies the Children’s Playground, a collaboration of eight bronze statues, all in the likenesses of children at play.

Originally designed to stand in front of Parliament (Eidsvolls plass), the Fountain was fabricated from bronze and adorned with 60 individual bronze reliefs. Portraying children and skeletons in the arms of giant trees, the Fountain suggests that from death comes new life. On the ground surrounding the Fountain lies an 1800 square meter mosaic laid in black and white granite. It took Vigeland a great deal of time to establish the monument: from 1906 to 1947.

The Monolith Plateau is a platform made of stairs that houses the Monolith totem itself. 36 figure groups reside on the elevation bringing with them the “circle of life” message. Access to the Plateau is made via eight figural gates forged in wrought iron. The gates were designed between 1933 and 1937 and erected shortly after Vigeland died in 1943.

At the highest point in the park lies the park's most popular attraction, The Monolith (Monolitten). The name derives from the Latin word monolithus from the Greek word μονόλιϑος (monolithos), derived from μόνος ("one" or "single") and λίϑος ("stone") implying the totem to be fabricated from one (mono) solid piece of stone (lith). Construction of the massive monument began in 1924 when Gustav Vigeland himself modeled it out of clay in his studio in Frogner. The design process took him ten months, and it is speculated that Vigeland had the help of a few sketches drafted in 1919. The model was then cast in plaster.

In the autumn of 1927 a block of granite weighing several hundred tons was delivered to the park from a stone quarry in Halden. It was erected a year later and a wooden shed was built around it to keep out the elements. Vigeland’s plaster design was set up next to it to give reference to its sculptors. Transferring of the figures began in 1929 and took 3 stone carvers 14 years to accomplish. On the Christmas of 1944 the public was allowed to admire The Monolith and 180,000 people crowded the wooden shed to get a close look at the creation. The shed was demolished shortly thereafter. The Monolith towers 14.12 meters (46.32 ft) high and is composed of 121 human figures rising towards the sky. This is meant to represent man’s desire to become closer with the spiritual and divine. It portrays a feeling of togetherness as the human figures embrace one another as they are carried toward salvation.

At the end of the 850-meter-long axis lies a sundial, forged in 1930, and finally the Wheel of Life, crafted in 1933-34.

The wheel is more or less a wreath depicting four people and a baby floating in harmony. It is a symbol of eternity, and implies the overall theme of the park: man’s journey from the cradle to the grave.