| Method | Woodblock (nishiki-e) |
| Artist | Utagawa Toyokuni [Toyokuni I] (1769 - 1825) |
| Published | 1822 |
| Dimensions | Two Hanshibon sheets [each sheet ~222 x 155 mm] |
| Notes |
Series: Ōyogari no koe: Call of Geese Meeting at Night Writer: Piwihafu no Moemon pseudonym of Utei Enba II A scarce print from Volume II of Toyokuni I's three volume Ōyogari no koe: Call of Geese Meeting at Night. This series contains 26 images with short erotic stories written by Utei Enba II. Here a man looks down at the woman he is making love to, his hands on his hips, his kimono open, with his kiri (paulownia) flower motif sash fallen behind him. The woman is on her knees, her kimono pushed up, her face turned left as she rests her head on the cushion of a fallen takamakura (raised sleeping pillow), several of her hair pins have come out, she grips the cushion of the takamakura, her eyes shut and her mouth parted in a moment of pleasure. Crumpled tissues lie nearby, alongside a cup. Through the open window is a landscape over rooftops to the water beyond, with sails and masts of boats visible. 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 Toyokuni I (1769-1825) was one of the leading figures of Japanese woodblock printmaking. Born in Edo, he was the son of Kurahashi Gorobei an important carver of dolls and puppets specialising in kabuki figures. After showing talent at painting from a young age, Toyokuni was apprenticed to Utagawa Toyoharu (1735-1814) founder of the Utagawa School and a nereby neighbour. Toyokuni was a master of actor prints, but also specialised in bijin-ga. He trained Kunisada and Kuniyoshi and was a key figure the generating the prosperous early 19th century Edo ukiyo-e print market. Toyokuni produced a few shunga works in the 1790s but ceases to produce any more for a twenty year period until 1822 when he produced Oyogari no koe. It was after he produced this work that fellow Utagawa artists followed his lead and began to produce shunga. Utei Enba II (1792-1869) was an Edo author of popular fiction. He also wrote a number of successful erotic books which he produced in collaboration with members of the Utagawa School including Toyokuni I and Kunisada. The works he collaborated on contain numerous novel devices to entice and entertain readers such as the inclusions of ghost, scandals involving kabuki actors, and trick pictures. His pen name was Enkobo Tsukinari. Ex. Col.: Peter Darach Reference: International Research Centre for Japanese Studies, Ehon (Ukiyo-e Shunga) Database, Kyoto, KC/172/Ut , 004508784. Condition: Some light soiling lower left and right corners, two worm holes top centre, slightly faded. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £275.00 |
| Stock ID | 53177 |