{"product_id":"mammoth-ivory-shunga-layered-bodies-figurine","title":"Figurilla shunga de cuerpos superpuestos, marfil de mamut lanudo tallado a mano, escultura erótica japonesa, 53 mm","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"jp-product\" data-world=\"Hidden Arts\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"jp-lede\"\u003eBodies stacked and interlocked within a few centimeters of ivory: this figurine compresses an Edo shunga composition into a form small enough to cup in the palm. Hand-carved in woolly mammoth ivory, it pairs exaggerated anatomy with controlled undercutting, a sculptor's answer to the woodblock print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Piece\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis figurine of layered bodies is a miniature erotic sculpture carved from mammoth ivory. The piece is composed in the visual and narrative language of Japanese shunga, where sexuality is rendered not as obscenity but as human vitality, humor, imbalance and intimacy. Unlike mass-produced erotic curios, it is conceived as a sculptural translation of ukiyo-e shunga into three dimensions: exaggerated anatomy, compressed bodies and interlocked limbs echo Edo-period prints, while the medium, prehistoric ivory, adds weight, permanence and collector gravity. It is a contemporary continuation of a suppressed art lineage, created for private appreciation, scholarly interest and serious collecting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe figures are locked in a deliberately unidealized moment. The male form leans forward with exaggerated posture and expressive facial tension; the female figure is positioned low and turned inward, her expression intentionally ambiguous, neither idealized nor submissive. This asymmetry is essential. Shunga traditionally rejected Western erotic ideals in favor of psychological realism, humor and bodily truth, and the sculptor preserves that stance by exaggerating proportion and gesture, creating tension rather than fantasy. The scene reads as human, awkward, intimate and alive, precisely the qualities Edo-period artists used to distinguish shunga from pornography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe material is deliberate. Ke-naga mammoth ivory offers density and fine grain comparable to elephant ivory, is legally collectible and historically favored by modern master carvers, and its naturally aged coloration enhances visual depth and warmth. The carving shows controlled undercutting in confined negative spaces, smooth anatomical transitions without tool chatter, and a polished yet organic surface that preserves the natural character of the ivory: collector-grade micro-carving rather than decorative export craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eErotic art in Japan survived centuries of censorship by existing outside public space, kept in drawers, sleeves, boxes and private collections. Shunga was rarely destroyed for moral reasons; it was hidden, exchanged quietly and reinterpreted by later generations. In the modern period, three-dimensional works such as this emerge as post-censorship artifacts that reclaim forbidden imagery through craftsmanship rather than provocation, and they exist because knowledge passed hand to hand, not institution to institution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sculpture is not about shock but about continuity, the persistence of human intimacy as an artistic subject even when suppressed. It stands at the intersection of ancient material, Edo-period visual language and the modern reclamation of hidden art, and that convergence gives it lasting value. Its size, material and explicit clarity suit private study collections, curated cabinets and scholarly reference, and it will speak to collectors of shunga and hidden erotic arts, of netsuke and miniature carving, of mammoth ivory micro-sculpture, and of objects excluded from public museum narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDetails\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"jp-details\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEra:\u003c\/strong\u003e Modern carving (late 20th–early 21st century), executed in classical Edo-period shunga visual language\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ke-naga mammoth ivory (woolly mammoth tusk)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMeasurements:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approx. 53 mm (H) × 28 mm (W) × 36 mm (D)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eForm:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shunga-inspired erotic sculpture; figural carving of an explicit coupling scene\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCondition\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExcellent surface condition; no notable chips, cracks or structural damage observed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNatural tonal variation consistent with mammoth ivory.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlease refer to the photographs for the exact state.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthenticity \u0026amp; Care\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarved in ke-naga (woolly) mammoth ivory; the late 20th to early 21st century dating is stylistic, and no carver is named. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDelivery from Japan\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePacked by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our \u003ca href=\"\/es\/policies\/refund-policy\"\u003epublished policy\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"jp-closing\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsidered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. Pieces over $1,000 may be reserved over several payments with \u003ca href=\"\/es\/pages\/japonista-layaway-privilege-program\"\u003eLayaway Privilege™\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"jp-related\"\u003eRelated pieces: \u003ca href=\"\/es\/products\/mammoth-ivory-shunga-erotic-sculpture\"\u003eExplicit shunga couple sculpture in mammoth ivory\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"\/es\/products\/mammoth-ivory-shunga-intimate-embrace-sculpture\"\u003eShunga intimate embrace in mammoth ivory\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"\/es\/products\/japanese-shunga-mammoth-ivory-lovers-carving\"\u003eMammoth ivory classical lovers shunga carving\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"jp-cta\" data-world=\"Hidden Arts\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"jp-cta-eyebrow\"\u003ePrivate Consultation\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShunga and hidden arts are handled with discretion. Open a private case file for a specific artist, series or period. \u003ca href=\"\/es\/pages\/japonista-concierge-logistics-case-file\"\u003eOpen a private case file →\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"jp-search\"\u003eCollectors also search: shunga figurine · mammoth ivory figurine · japanese erotic figurine · hand carved shunga · erotic netsuke · ivory micro carving japan · shunga sculpture\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Japonista","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51960227037477,"sku":null,"price":2350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0758\/8829\/6229\/files\/k401-MammothIvoryEroticShungaFigurine_LayeredBodies_JapaneseHand-CarvedArt_1.jpg?v=1769993383","url":"https:\/\/japonista.com\/es\/products\/mammoth-ivory-shunga-layered-bodies-figurine","provider":"Japonista","version":"1.0","type":"link"}