| Method | Woodblock (nishiki-e) |
| Artist | Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) (1786-1865) |
| Published | 1827 |
| Dimensions | Two Hanshibon sheets [each sheet ~222 x 155 mm] |
| Notes |
Series Title: Koi no Yatsu Fuji: The Love of Yatsufuji: Amorous Chronicles of the Eight Dog Warriors Authour: Kyokutori Shujin pseudonym of Hanagasa Bunkyō A print from Utagawa Kunisada's Koi no Yatsu Fuji: The Love of Yatsufuji, Amorous Chronicles of the Eight Dog Warriors depicting a woman fleeing from a tattooed man who clutches at the back of her kimono, her lover is still lying down behind a mosquito net which has partially fallen down. The title of this print is a euphemism for a threesome. In Japanese culture water is considered a yin or feminine element and sex was euphemistically and discreetly referred to as moments of un'u (clouds and rain), where as men embodied yang elements. Koi no Yatsu Fuji is a parody by Hanagasa Bunkyō of Kyokutei Bakin's famous Satomi hakkenden :The Eight Dog Chronicles. Published over a 28 year period (1814-1842), the 98 chapter book published in 106 volumes follows the often comic mishaps and adventures of eight fictional warriors. Erotic parodies of popular texts were a staple facet of the shunga book market often published shortly after or in tandem with popular fiction titles. To avoid being identified by the censors Kunisada signed the work using his pseudonym Bukiyo Matahei. Deluxe printing using gauffrage, multiple colours, and metallic inks. This print is meant to be a parody about the fate of warriors and their sexual prowess in the new urban Edo culture that rendered their battlefield and sword skill redundant. In the new urban culture of Edo many warriors also became hikeshi (fire fighters) as they had little to do. Edo had a fire problem due to the the densely populated city was predominantly constructed using bamboo, paper, and wood and charcoal was burned to heat homes. By 1850 there were 24,000 fire fighters for the 1,000,000 inhabitants. The heights fire fighters has a mixed reputation. There were seen a heroes who protected the city from fire and saved lives, but they were also seen coarse, rowdy, and over sexed. Also, firemen at this time put out fires rather they contained them by ripping down surrounding buildings. There is even kabuki play called Megumi no Kenka – Kami no Megumi Wago no Torikumi: The fight of the Megumi Fire brigage which immortalises a famous day long fight between a group of fire fighters and sumo wrestlers. Fire fighters used tattoos to show their allegiance to their brigade, and is well documented in prints. In this prints a tatooed fireman has interrupted couple who have been making love, presumably in the hope of taking part, instead he has torn down the mosquito net like one of the structures he would tear down, and frightened the woman who is running off. The joke is that this man hopping to have a "firey" and passionate time has extinguished e fire by frightening the woman through his intrusion. This print is also a joke about the fact the reduced virility of the warriors now fire fighters of Edo, as the series title is a reference to the fictional tales of the Eight Dog Warriors. Here the dog warrior has become a fire fighter who in acting out on his baser dog-like nature only further ruined his chances of bliss. The way in which the tattooed man has been given a broad face with a grimace further gives evidence for the fact that the viewer is meant to see this figure as coarse, not intelligent, base, and comic. 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. Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) (1786-1865) was the most popular, prolific and financially successful designer of ukiyo-e woodblock print in 19th century Japan producing over 20,000 print designs as well as illustrated books. In his own time, his reputation far exceeded that of his contemporaries, Hokusai, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. The artist started his career as a pupil of Toyokuni I whose name he adopted in 1844 as Toyokuni III. Almost from the first day of his activity to until his death in 1865, Kunisada was a trend setter in the art of the Japanese woodblock print. Always at the vanguard of his time, and in tune with the tastes of the public, he continuously developed his style, which was sometimes radically changed, and did not adhere to stylistic constraints set by any of his contemporaries. He was not only a brilliant print maker but also an excellent business man who had great commercial success. Following the traditional pattern of the Utagawa School, Kunisada's main occupation was kabuki and actor prints, and about sixty percent all of his designs fall in this category. Notable students of his include Toyohara Kunichika, Utagawa Sadahide and Utagawa Kunisada II. From, the 1820s Kunisada produced approximately fifty erotic works. Many of his works were conceived and designed with author and poet Utei Enba II (1792-1862). Kunisada made several erotic parodies of popular novels including erotic versions of The Tales of Genji. Kunisada's shunga output is notable for the great attention to the settings of the shunga scenes including elaborate fabric patterns, porcelain, smoking sets, and the use of the most elaborate printing methods available at the time including embellishment with gold and silver pigments, mother of pearl, mica, lacquer printing, and gauffrage. Hanagasa Bunkyō (1785-1860) was an Edo playwright and author. After studying under Tsuruya Nanboku IV he became a kabuki playwright but after failing to find success he became a writer of popular fiction. He went on to write erotic texts for Kunisada, Kuniyoshi, and Eisen. Koshoku Gaishi was a pen name for Hanagasa Bunkyo. Ex. Col.: Peter Darach Reference: Screech, Timon. Sex and the Floating World: Erotic Images in Japan 1700-1820, Reaktion Books, London, Second Edition, 2009,p. 134. Condition: Good impression with light rubbing to bottom corners of sheet. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £550.00 |
| Stock ID | 53180 |