Is this the world's oldest sex toy? 2,000-year-old bronze pleasure device is found in the tomb of an ancient Chinese aristocat

Rare pictures have been released showing the ancient sex toys that once belonged to the Chinese royals and aristocrats.

The two pleasure devices, both made of bronze, date back more than 2,000 years to China's Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD).

They were discovered in the modern-day Jiangsu Province near Shanghai inside the ancient tombs belonging to the rich and powerful.

The sex toy (pictured) was discovered in Yizheng inside the tomb of an ancient aristocrat

One of the two artefacts, which has a metal ring attach to it, was discovered in the Yizheng city in western Jiangsu. 

The bronze artefact was discovered in 2009 inside the tomb which is believed to belong to a regional King in the Han Dynasty.

It was unearthed by archaeologists in 2012 and has since been kept at the Yizheng Museum. It is not shown to the public.

A member of staff at the Yizheng Museum told MailOnline that the bronze item had been found inside the tomb of an aristocrat in the West Han Dynasty (206 BC–8 AD), the first part of the Han Dynasty.

The other sex toy apparently belonged to a Chinese imperial family. 

The artefact, which has a flat base, was found inside an ancient tomb in the Xuyi County in western Jiangsu in 2009. It has been kept at the Nanjing Museum, the capital of Jiangsu Province. 

In 2011, the owner of the tomb was identified as Liu Fei (169BC-127BC), the first king of Jiangdu, an autonomous kingdom within the Han Dynasty, according to China News. 

Liu Fei was also a half-brother of the Emperor Wu of Han, who ruled from 141BC to 97BC.

Both sex toys were unearthed in modern-day Jiangsu Province near Shanghai.

The two extraordinary sex toys will go on display at an upcoming exhibition at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in the United States.

The exhibition, called 'Tomb Treasures', will showcase more than 160 artefacts from the Han Dynasty. 

The historical items, all found inside ancient tombs, include luxurious daily life ornaments, worship items as well as private objects associated with sex and pleasure. 

Zhang Fan, the co-curator of 'Tomb Treasures', said the two pleasure devices 'could be worn and used' and that they reflected an 'almost modern appreciation for the body's needs and wants'. 

Art curator Zhang Fan (pictured) said the two pleasure devices 'could be worn and used'

According to Mr Zhang, the other intimate artefacts at the exhibition will include a large silver basin for taking baths, a working stone latrine with an armrest and an elaborate ceramic urinal.

Jay Xu, the director of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and the co-curator of 'Tomb Treasures' said: 'This exhibition underscores how connected we really are to the past, that we share the same passions across time and culture.' 

The exhibition will run from February 17 to May 28.