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An example of gold-toned Ben Wa balls.

Ben Wa balls, also known as Burmese bells or Geisha balls (In Chinese, Ben Wa balls are called 阴道球 -Pinyin:yīndàoqiú, vagina ball- or 内用球 -Pinyin:nèiyòngqiú, internal-use ball-) are small, marble-sized metal balls, usually hollow and containing a small weight that rolls around—used for sexual stimulation (by insertion into the vagina or anus). Some may also be solid, or contain clappers or chimes within; other larger versions made of plastic encasing lesser balls are called Duotone balls. Reportedly, there is also a pair consisting of one containing a drop of mercury and the other, a tiny vibrating metal tongue, giving a uniquely erotic sensation even at the slightest movement of hips or legs (Sex in History, Reay Tannahill). They are used by inserting them into the vagina or anus and using muscles to hold them in, and movement to stimulate and vibrate. Self-publishing is the publishing of books or other media by those who have written them. ... In historical scholarship, a primary source is a document, or other source of information that was created at or near the time being studied, by an authoritative source, usually one with direct personal knowledge of the events being described. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1297x1657, 64 KB) my picture File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ben Wa balls ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1297x1657, 64 KB) my picture File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Ben Wa balls ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... The vagina, (from Latin, literally sheath or scabbard ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... This article is about metallic materials. ... Human sexuality is the expression of sexual feelings. ... The vagina, (from Latin, literally sheath or scabbard ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. ... This article is about the bodily orifice. ... The vagina, (from Latin, literally sheath or scabbard ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. ... This article is about the bodily orifice. ...

Ben-Wa Balls have a varied history, their origin and method of construction changing drastically depending on where you look. Most information concerning Ben-Wa Balls is vague and probably apocryphal.^[1] It is said that they originally were a single ball placed in the vagina, used to enhance the act of coitus, but shortly evolved into multiple metal covered balls linked by either a chain or silk string for easy removal. Usage of Ben Wa balls creates a subtle stimulation, not meant to bring the user to immediate orgasm but rather to tease. It is possible to leave Ben Wa balls in one's vagina all day, or use them while seated in a rocking chair, for an effect that some find pleasurable.^{[2][unreliable source?]} A pair of lions copulating in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. ... For other uses of this word, see Silk (disambiguation). ... An orgasm (sexual climax) is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, and may be experienced by both males and females. ... Lady on a rocking chair by Victor Borisov-Musatov, 1897 A rocking chair or rocker is a chair with two curved bands of wood (also know as rockers) attached to the bottom of the legs (one on the left two legs and one on the right two legs). ...

At the end of the sixteenth century, Ralph Fitch, an English traveller, encountered them in the Shan States of Myanmar.^{[citation needed]} He described their use there by men. Less than a dozen years later, the Florentine merchant Francesco Carletti also reported their use in Thailand, where they were used to enlarge the penis.^{[citation needed]} Ralph Fitch (died 1611) was a gentleman merchant of London and one of the earliest English travellers and traders to visit Mesopotamia, the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, India and Southeast Asia. ... For other uses, see Shan (disambiguation). ... Florence (or Firenze, Florentia and Fiorenza) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany, and of the province of Florence. ...

Ben Wa balls may also be used to simply increase the strength of the pelvic floor muscles, much as the Taoist practice The Deer Exercise has been used for centuries,^{[citation needed]} and the Kegel exercises are used today. Similar to Kegel exercises, Ben Wa balls and other shaped vaginal weights are recommended by gynecologists and obstetricians to increase vaginal elasticity and bladder control. Vaginal weights come in a cylindrical shape and are used in increasing weights to strengthen the vagina, which improves sexual performance. Mild urinary incontinence, such as that which occurs while coughing, laughing, or sneezing and occurs more often as women grow older, can be treated with Ben Wa balls,^{[citation needed]} vaginal weights, or Kegel exercises. The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is the interior boundary of the pelvis separating it from the perineum. ... For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... An ancient Chinese print depicting The Joining of the Essences. Daoist sexual practices (Simplified Chinese: 合气, Traditional Chinese: 合氣, pinyin: heqi) or The Joining of the Essences, is the way Daoists practiced sex. ... A Kegel exercise, named after Dr Arnold Kegel, is one designed to exercise the pubococcygeal muscles, sometimes called the Kegel muscles in reference to the exercise. ... The shamefulness associated with the examination of female genitalia has long inhibited the science of gynaecology. ... Obstetrics (from the Latin obstare, to stand by) is the surgical specialty dealing with the care of a woman and her offspring during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (the period shortly after birth). ... This article is about the urinary bladder. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ...

The effect of Ben Wa Balls as erotic stimulator is disputed due to the fact that sexologists claim either no or very little sensation is felt by a woman.^{[citation needed]} However, practitioners of such spiritual traditions as Tantra and Chinese Taoism believe that Ben Wa Balls are helpful tools to exercise control and to explore the sensual side of an individual. ^{[3][unreliable source?]} Diverse women. ... Taoism (pronounced or ; also spelled Daoism) refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ...

They are also used in the postnatal period. Postnatal (Latin for after birth) is the period beginning immediately after the birth of a child and extending for about six weeks. ...

Confusion with Baoding balls

Although they look similar, Ben Wa balls should not be confused with Baoding Balls. ^[4] Baoding Balls Baoding ball were (according to popular belief) created in Baoding, China, during the Ming dynasty. ...

Due to the common confusion, many Baoding balls are mistakenly said to be and sold as Ben Wa balls. ^{[5] [6]}

References