Shunga, literally “Images of Spring”, is the generic term used to describe erotic prints, books, scrolls, and paintings from Japan.
Prudery
Only recently (1990s) has the study of shunga images been started, representing homosexual (male-male) and lesbian (female-female) love acts. This late investigation of this “hidden domain” was caused by official censorship in Japan and also by discomfort and prudery regarding the specific issue in the past.
Masculine masculine
Homosexuality, in Japanese called nansoku which means ‘male love’, was not an uncommon phenomenon during the Edo period (present-day Tokyo) in Japan. In the early years of the Tokugawa regime (early 17th century), men greatly outnumbered women in Edo. There were very strict rules imposed by the government inspired by the loyal standards of Confucianism that excluded women from participating in any type of work other than housework. These regulations and the shortage of women can be seen as deciding factors for the large number of homosexual activities. The most characteristic feature of male-male representations in shunga is the relationship between the two “lovers” involved. The main and dominant male with the shaved head is always the oldest, this on the basis of seniority or highest social status, while the submissive passive partner was a prepubescent or pubescent boy or a young man depicted with an unshaven lock. These young boys are often shown in feminine clothing and are therefore easily mistaken for girls. They served as pages for high-ranking samurai, monks, wealthy merchants, or older servants and were most desired during their adolescence, especially between the ages of 15 and 17, when the anus was still hairless. There are also several shunga designs on the theme of threesome sex that depict a man (always a young man) in the middle of a sexual relationship with a female partner while being taken from behind by an intruder. In most shunga images depicting anal intercourse between the man and the young man, the young man’s genitals are often hidden, drawing the viewer’s attention to the garment and the graceful lines of the body.
Female secrets
While there was a Japanese term for man-man (nanshoku) and male-female sex, Joshoku gold nyoshoku meaning ‘female love’, there was no such word to describe female-female sex or lesbianism. Most of the shunga that I have come across as a trader in the last 15 years regarding explicitly feminine concentrated designs (about 20!) Depicted isolated women masturbating using their fingers or a harigata (artificial phallus / dildo) or two intimate women using this same sexual device. Hokusai (1760-1849), the most famous Ukiyo-e teacher, designed two lesbian prints of ehon (book), including one featuring two awabi (abalone) divers using a sea cucumber. So far the only shunga featuring this theme that has been described in the literature is Eiri’s famous design from his oban-size series. ‘Calligraphy models’ (Fumi no kiyogaki) published in 1801. In his book ‘Shunga, the art of love in Japan’ (1975) Tom and Mary Evans make an interesting comparison with Eiri’s shunga design (they attribute it to Eisho) and the paintings of the influential post-impressionist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec:
“While Toulouse-Lautrec concentrated on the emotional bond between the girls and the sad emptiness of the lifestyle that threw them into each other’s arms, Eisho (Eiri) worried about the physical details of their relationship. The artist from open-minded like Lautrec felt that such details were more than could reasonably be presented to his audience, for the Japanese they were the central feature of the design. ” (Evans – ‘Shunga, the art of love in Japan’)
Notably, these images of lesbianism in shunga were the result of male fantasies, designed by men and intended for a male audience.
Deep view
Despite the embarrassment that the Japanese felt at first about portraying these suppressed themes within the shunga genre, it is exactly these particular images that provide a deep insight into the cultural and historical background of their country during the Edo period.
Recommended literature
‘Shunga, the art of love in Japan’ (1975) – Tom and Mary Evans
‘Sex and the Floating World’ (1999) – Timon Screech
‘Japanese Erotic Prints’ (2002) – Inge Klompmakers
‘Japanese erotic fantasies’ (2005) – C. Uhlenbeck and M. Winkel
Important Shunga Artists
Hishikawa Moronobu (? -1694)
Suzuki Harunobu (around 1725-1770)
Isoda Koryusai (1735-90)
Chokyosai Eiri (act C.1789-1801)
Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806)
Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815)
Katsukawa Shuncho (c. 1780s-early 1800s)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)
Yanagawa Shigenobu (1787-1833)
Keisai Eisen (1790-1848)
Kikugawa Eizan (1787-1867)
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861)
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)
Kawanabe Kyosai (1831-89)