Shunga prints in books often portray certain themes and subjects that return in the consecutive designs. Today I have brought together some shunga
Shunga, a genre within ukiyo-e displaying the erotic secrets of ancient Japan. These prints where commonly created by using woodblock printing.
prints from our collection that show couples who entertain themselves with the harigata (dildo). In the designs below the depicted harigata’s are all made out of tortoise-shell.
Fig.1. ‘Couple with harigata‘ (c.1848-1854) from the series ‘Shunshoku Tamazoroi (An Assortment of Pleasure in Spring)‘ by Utagawa Kunisada
Double Penetration
A couple has retreated to their bedroom and experiment with a newly obtained harigata. The woman is double penetrated. The unrolled scroll painting on the right depicts a design from Kunisada
Below you can check out the sensual images of a rare complete book series by Utagawa Kunisada. The title is ‘ Aki no Nanakusa (The Seven Flowers of Autumn)’ and the year of production is 1832. Size (book..
’s own Four Seasons-series.
Fig.2. ‘Couple experimenting with sex toys
Shunga prints depicting Japanese sex toys from the Edo Period were included for the joy and education. These sex toys were produced for both men and women and the designs were often accompanied by pseudo-scientific..
‘ (c.1837) from the series ‘Koi no Yatsufuji (The Love of Yatsufuji)‘ by Utagawa Kunisada
A similar scene like the previous print, also by Kunisada, with the couple in reverse in comparison with the predecessor. Here the couple has a whole collection of sex
Betty Dodson (born 1929) was trained as a fine artist in the 1950s, and in 1968 had her first show of erotic art at the Wickersham Gallery in New York City. In the 1970s, she quitted her art career and began studying..
toys.
Rosina Buckland comments on this design: “…A particularly explicit illustration from Utagawa Kunisada’s The Eight-Petal Wisteria of Love (Koi no yatsufuji, 1837) shows the passionate session of a couple on a hot summer’s evening (to the left, smoke rises from an incense-burner to deter mosquitoes). An impressive array of sex toys is laid out on a tray beside them. The man lifts the woman’s leg to insert a tortoiseshell dildo into her vagina
Designs featuring vagina close-ups in shunga are among the collector’s favorite subjects. Normally these kind of images were added in the beginning and/or the end of shunga books ( ehon ) to emphasize its..
while he penetrates her anally. She flings her head backwards and curls her toes in ecstasy, still grasping a small container of lubricant or aphrodisiac ointment, hastily removed from its paper wrapping.”
Fig.3. ‘Lesbian
Pictures of lesbians were also popular in shunga (although they are rare!). The depicted women are usually shown using a special dildo ( harigata ) , composed like a double-sided phallus . Although I have seen..
orgy‘ (c.1832) by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Various Women
A highly amusing and appealing shunga design with various women experimenting and enjoying themselves with harigata‘s (dildo’s). They can not get enough of it, as suggested by the crumpled tissues that surround them.
Fig.4. ‘Heterosexual orgy‘ (c.1832) by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Although I dived deep into my shunga library (which lacks very few books on the subject) and also thoroughly researched the internet about the ehon (book) below, I unfortunately could not find much background..
Various Poses
A hilarious scene featuring numerous copulating couples in varying complicated poses. Striking is the man in the above left corner who is satisfying three females using two dildos.
Fig.5. ‘Samurai with giant harigata‘ (c.1832) by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) famous for his Suikoden Heroes series was also gifted at representing erotic imagery. He is responsible for designing some of the boldest examples in subject and form. The Kuniyoshi prints for..
Wary Samurai
The following piece by Kuniyoshi offers a special design of a wary samurai who is listening to the activities inside the mansion…ready to draw his sword. A striking detail is the giant harigata he is holding under his arm.