(2)  Japanese Shunga Erotica Art Prints. Depicting two of the twelve different sexual positions performed as an expression of Yin and Yang. 

Condition: Minor scratches on both pieces (see pictures).

Overall Size: 12 x 12 5/8 in.
Sight Size: 6 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. 
#2525 #12 #13 . 

Shunga is a type of Japanese erotic art typically executed as a kind of ukiyo-e, often in woodblock print format. Translated literally, the Japanese word shunga means “picture of spring,” with spring being a common euphemism for sex. The ukiyo-e movement sought to idealize contemporary urban living and appeal to the new chōnin class, so shunga followed the aesthetics of everyday life and widely varied in its depictions of sexuality. Most ukiyo-e artists made shunga at some point in their careers, and pieces were often unsigned to protect the identity of the artist, although some like Utamaro specialized in the style. Shunga was heavily influenced by illustrations in Chinese medicine manuals beginning in the Muromachi era (1336-1573), which tended to draw genital organs in an oversized manner, similar to a common shunga topos. The Japanese influences of shunga date back to the Heian period (794-1185) through the medium of narrative handscrolls, when sexual scandals from the imperial court or the monasteries were depicted, and the characters tended to be limited to courtiers and monks. The style reached its height in the Edo period (1603-1867), when it was enjoyed by all social groups and sexes, despite being out of favor with the shogunate. Thanks to woodblock printing techniques, the quantity and quality increased dramatically. There were repeated governmental attempts to suppress kōshokubon (literally “lewdness books”), particularly those which criticized samurai or the upper classes, but shunga continued to be produced with little difficulty due to its near-universal popularity. By the end of the 18th Century greater government censorship had taken its toll, and the art form suffered even further once Westerners were introduced to the medium during the Meiji Period (1868-1912) and deemed it “deviant” and “vile.” By the end of the period the art form had almost completely disappeared, supplanted by erotic photography, but its influence continues to be felt to this day in Japanese video games, anime, and manga known as hentai.

Minor scratches on both pieces (see pictures).