Japan: A man makes love to his wife while the latter uses a feather to apply moxa to the back of an older woman. Suzuki Harunobu (1724-1770), 1770

This shunga is no. 3 in Harunobu's series of 24 woodblock prints: 'Furyu enshoku Mane'emon' (風流艶色真似ゑもん or 'Elegant Amorous Mane'emon'), Edo (Tokyo), 1770. Mane'emon, the small figure near the bottom of the print, also burns moxa.

Harunobu's Mane'emon series illustrate the voyeuristic adventures of a man named Ukiyonosuke who wanted to learn the secrets of love making. To attain this end he drank a magic elixir and became very small, taking the pseudonym ' Mane'emon'.

Suzuki Harunobu (鈴木 春信, 1724 – July 7, 1770) was a Japanese woodblock print artist, one of the most famous in the Ukiyo-e style. He was an innovator, the first to produce full-color prints (nishiki-e) in 1765, rendering obsolete the former modes of two- and three-color prints.

Harunobu used many special techniques, and depicted a wide variety of subjects, from classical poems to contemporary beauties (bijin, bijin-ga). Like many artists of his day, Harunobu also produced a number of shunga, or erotic images.

During his lifetime and shortly afterwards, many artists imitated his style. A few, such as Harushige, even boasted of their ability to forge the work of the great master. Much about Harunobu's life is unknown.

Copyright:

Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Credit:

Pictures From History

Theme:

SHUNGA