Utagawa Kuniyoshi Atarizakari Suikoden, Edo Period Japanese Shunga Harubon, Erotic Art Woodblock Ukiyoe Book, Upper Volume
Utagawa Kuniyoshi Atarizakari Suikoden, Edo Period Japanese Shunga Harubon, Erotic Art Woodblock Ukiyoe Book, Upper Volume
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A guide for this piece: about $102, based on the 10% US charge on the declared value of goods made in Japan.
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| Figure | cm | in |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 15.4 cm | 6.1 in |
| Height | 22.2 cm | 8.7 in |
Every piece is measured by hand, in centimetres as Japan measures. Please allow 1–2 cm (about ½ inch) for the give of the material and the hand that held the tape.
Where each figure is taken · View the plate
Object, sculpture and ceramics
Condition report
Good
- Giftable
- Mint
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Honest Wear
- As Found
The Water Margin, Turned to Comedy
Kuniyoshi made his name with heroes of the Water Margin, and here he parodies them in his own enpon: a temple bell bursts open in a shower of light, a crowd of men and women brawl across a whole spread, and lovers fill the quieter plates. It is the master laughing at his own most famous subject.
Best for: Collectors of Kuniyoshi and of Edo enpon
Condition notes
Some worm damage to the leaves; toning, staining and wear to the cover and edges; text pages outnumber the plates. Upper volume only.
Grades, ratings and commentary are given to the best of our ability, knowledge and experience, and condition remains partly a matter of personal perception. What we stand behind without qualification is authenticity, truthful description and provenance, to the best of our knowledge. How we grade
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The upper volume of an Edo-period enpon by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, in which the heroes and villains of the Water Margin are recast as lovers, brawlers and comic spirits.
This piece belongs to the private room of the house and is shown to adults only.
The Piece
Kuniyoshi (1797 to 1861) became famous through his warrior prints of the Suikoden, the Chinese novel known in English as the Water Margin. In this enpon, the privately circulated erotic picture book, he turns that heroic world into parody. The plates are signed Ichimyokai Hodoyoshi, the punning name under which he issued his erotic books.
The volume holds eight double-page plates and one half-page plate. They range far beyond the bedchamber: a great temple bell breaks open in a burst of light while figures scatter, a crowd of men and women brawl across an entire spread, and a figure tumbles through the dark beside flames and a dragon. The amorous plates, set among screens and patterned robes, carry the bold line of his best work: warai-e, the laughing picture, at full strength.
Details
- Title: Atarizakari Suikoden, upper volume
- Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi, signed Ichimyokai Hodoyoshi
- Period: Edo period, nineteenth century
- Genre: Enpon (shunga picture book) with warai-e humour
- Plates: Eight double-page plates and one half-page plate
- Technique: Colour woodblock printing on Japanese paper
- Format: Hanshibon, stab-bound in the Japanese manner
- Cover size: About 22.2 x 15.4 cm (8.7 x 6.1 in)
- Made in: Japan
Measured by hand; please allow a gentle margin of about 0.5 cm (0.2 in).
Condition
- Some worm damage to the leaves, mostly in the text pages.
- Toning, staining and wear to the cover and edges; text pages outnumber plates.
- A clear stand holds the pages open in the photographs; it is not part of the book.
- Upper volume only; every photograph is part of the description.
Condition grade C (good) on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.
Authenticity & Care
Offered as an Edo-period enpon with plates by Utagawa Kuniyoshi; the attribution follows the signature on the plates and is not independently certified. Store flat, away from sun and damp.
Delivery from Japan
Wrapped flat in acid-free tissue between rigid boards, insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything you wish to know before you buy, and see our published policy.
Considered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. Further pieces of the kind are kept in Shunga and Hidden Arts and in our archive of woodblock prints and classical texts.
Concierge
Searching for the lower volume, or another title by Kuniyoshi? Our Hunting Salon™ locates it across Japan's private collector circles, then inspects, documents and delivers it to you. Begin a Hunting Salon™ request.
Collectors also search: Kuniyoshi enpon · Suikoden parody shunga · Edo period erotic picture book
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