illustrated book; shunga; print | British Museum

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illustrated book; shunga; print

Object Type: illustrated book; shunga; print
Museum number: 1981,0813,0.1.1
Title: Object: (Shunka shuto) Shiki no nagame (春夏秋冬) 色の詠 (In Praise of Love (in the Four Seasons))
Description: Illustrated book. Vol. 1 of four volumes. Erotic scenes. Woodblock-printed.
Producer name
Cultures/periods: Edo Period; Bunsei Era
Production date: 1827-1829
Production place: Made in: Japan
Materials
Technique
Dimensions: Height: 258 millimetres (Album closed); Width: 190 millimetres (Album closed); Width: 355 millimetres (Album open)
Curator's comments: A well-dressed young man has taken an antique shunga handscroll painting of courtiers making love from its luxurious lacquered storage box and purple silk wrapping, and now encourages his female companion to view it with him. Beside him is an equally luxurious lacquered smoking set, with three love letters tucked into the top. Equally smartly dressed in a beautiful robe with long, hanging sleeves typically worn by unmarried young women, she is reluctant to view the scroll and pulls away, raising her hand in its sleeve to her face in a gesture of shyness or embarrassment. There is no text or story to otherwise explain this, the opening illustration in a four-volume work, illustrated by Kunisada. How are we to interpret it? Are we made complicit in the man’s seduction strategy? Or is this an accepted way for him to pay court to a well brought-up young woman? Certainly the fine finish of the heirloom scroll with its sprinklings of gold in the background, similar to several paintings displayed in this exhibition (Clark et al 2013, cat. 17), and the fact that it features aristocrats, promotes the idea that sexual dalliance is sanctioned by tradition and wealth. Historical sources tell us that shunga paintings and books formed part of the trousseau of a bride to prepare her for sex with her new husband (see Clark et al 2013, pp. 296–9). Within the fantasy world of shunga itself, couples regularly use shunga paintings and books in foreplay or as a guide to lovemaking positions. So shall we look? Or should we turn away? [TC]
Bibliographic references: Clark et al 2013 / Shunga: Sex and Pleasure in Japanese Art (Cat. 6; fig. 2, p. 381); Buckland 2010 / Shunga: Erotic Art in Japan (p. 13); Hillier 1987 / The Art of the Japanese Book (Fig. 175)
Location: Not on display
Exhibition history: Exhibited 2013 3 Oct - 2014 5 Jan, London, BM, Shunga: Sex and pleasure in Japanese art, 1600-1900
Subjects
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1981
Department: Asia
Registration number: 1981,0813,0.1.1
Additional IDs: Japanese Illustrated Book number: JIB.690
Conservation