JapaneseEroticArt

Shunga – a euphemism for "picture of spring" – celebrates every aspect of human sexuality, from explicit to tender, sensuous to humorous, and even educational. These depictions were highly popular in Japanese society and were seen as an expression of the refined, pleasure-seeking culture of Edo-period Japan, where many of these works were created.

Shunga works were enjoyed by all sections of society, from samurai to newlywed couples. With the arrival of woodblock printing, these artworks became more accessible and affordable, to the point where even libraries rented out these books. Every famous artist from the ukiyo-e school, including Hokusai, Utamaro, and Kuniyoshi, created shunga with brilliant imagination and technical skill.

This book by Ofer Shagan displays a diversity of images from his unrivaled collection, covering nudity and clothing, voyeurism, gods, monsters, animals, orgasm, adultery, jealousy, and more. Organized thematically, it highlights the symbols and motifs that are often hidden in the background, crucial for understanding and appreciating this genre.

For a long time, shunga remained taboo and excluded from scholarship, but this ambitious book, with a foreword by Professor Andrew Gerstle of the University of London, brings these artworks back to their rightful place in the history of Japanese art, culture, and society.

Shunga has a long history in Japanese erotic art, with thousands of paintings, prints, and illustrated books produced from the seventeenth to late nineteenth centuries. Unlike earlier books that focused on specific artists, this publication has a thematic structure covering the diverse spectrum of sexual practice and expression, including themes like adultery, jealousy, voyeurism, orgasm, and violent sex and death. Using images from his unique collection, Ofer Shagan opens the rich and vast world of shunga to modern audiences and highlights the messages, symbols, and humor that often appear in the background but are crucial for understanding these artworks.

This book contains over 1,200 illustrations in color.

作者简介

OferShaganisanartcollectorwhohaslivedformanyyearsinJapan.Worksfromhisremarkableshungacollectionofover7,000itemshavebeenexhibitedatseveralmuseums,andhehaspublishedbooksandnumerousarticlesonthesubject,aswellasonotheraspectsofhiscollections.