| Method | Woodblock (nishiki-e) |
| Artist | Koikawa Shozan (1821-1907) |
| Published | Bunkyu era 1861-1864 |
| Dimensions | Hanshibon [ ~222 x 155 mm] |
| Notes |
Series: Ukiyo Genji gojūshijō: The Fifty-Four Chapters of Ukiyo-Genji Print nine from Volume II of Ukiyo Genji gojūshijō: The Fifty-Four Chapters of Ukiyo-Genji. In this print Genji and a love have sex outside, willow trees, a bridge and full moon in the sky in the landscape beyond. Tale of Genji is the most famous literary classic novel in Japan knowledge of which was important to demonstrate proof of education. While the original tale is not pornographic it is considered an amorous and sensual. The first shunga book version of Tale of Genji appeared the late 1600s in the unregulated shunga market and aimed at those who could read the novel. After the 1722 Kyōhō reforms banning shunga and sexual content in novels, shunga continued to be produced underground. Shunga continued to proved sexualised content which officially availably literature could not. Several new popluar novels based on Tale of Genji were published in the early 19th century and the Tale of Genji continued to became an increasingly popular subject for shunga throughout the 19th century. It is thought that shunga books featuring Prince Genji were aimed at female readers. Shunga is the term used for the body of erotic imagery produced in Japan from 1600 to 1900. The term shunga means spring pictures, a euphemism for sex, and is one of several names for erotic material produced in Japan. Shunga took different formats: painted hand scrolls, painted books, printed books and albums, and sets of prints which were sometimes sold in wrappers. As prints they are one of the genres of ukiyo-e, or Floating World prints, which also include fukeiga (landscape prints), and bijin-ga (prints of beautiful women). Most of the major ukiyo-e artists produced shunga material at some point during their careers, including Utamaro (who produced more erotic books than non-erotic books), Hokusai, and Hiroshige. Produced at the same time as the introduction of full colour woodblock printing, shunga prints and books were made using the most lavish and complicated printing techniques, including gauffrage, metallic inks, mica, complicated printed patterns, and multicolour printing using a high number of different colours. Although prolific in its number and variety, shunga should be seen as more representative of the ideals of the ukiyo, with its emphasis on mutual pleasure, rather than as an accurate representation of Japanese attitudes and practices of sexuality. Shunga present an invitation to pleasure through the bliss of lovemaking and though largely heteronormative, they portray the full gamut of couplings, married or otherwise, often surrounded by lavish settings and objects of pleasure. Reference: International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, Ehon (Ukiyo-e Shunga) Database, Kyoto, KC/172/Ry,004339305 . Ex. col.: Peter Darach Condition: Some very light soiling and rubbing lower right and left, binding holes in left margin as issued. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £150.00 |
| Stock ID | 53298 |