This rubber gas mask has been studded with nails from the inside out so as to be repurposed as a homemade fetish object. The mask looks to have come from the World War II era. Belgium has one of the largest fetish communities in Europe, particularly for leather subcultures. Within these groups it’s quite common for members to wear uniforms incorporating military elements, although gas masks come with their own kind of fetishisation, including ideas of claustrophobia and heightened body awareness through restricting the senses.