Although I dived deep into my shunga library (which lacks very few books on the subject) and also thoroughly researched the internet about the ehon (book) below, I unfortunately could not find much background information about it.
Pseudonym
What I was able to find out is that the series is called ‘Shunshoku irifune chô (The Ship of Good Fortune Comes in with the Colors of Spring/aka. Spring Scenery for the Launching of New Ships)‘, that it is signed Ichimyôkai Hodoyoshi ga, a pseudonym used by the artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), and written by the author Ryûtei Tanehiko (Japanese, 1783–1842), and that it was issued c.1837.
Hayashi
There is a reference to a book called Enpon kenkyû Kuniyoshi Prints For Sale (P1)" written by the eminent shunga expert Yoshikazu Hayashi that is not in my possession yet (if anyone of you can tell me more about this publication please don’t hesitate contacting me!).
Important Work
I also know ‘Shunshoku irifune chô‘ is considered to be an important work (some of the designs have inspired other artists!) and that it’s part of the collection of several museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts Boston but besides that I couldn’t find anything at this moment.
Anyway, you can find all the erotic pictures from the three volumes below…
http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/Shunshoku%20irifune%20cho%20(shunga).htm (op Premium zetten)
Volume I
‘Opening pages of the first volume‘ (c.1837) from the series ‘Shunshoku irifune chô (The Ship of Good Fortune Comes in with the Colors of Spring)‘ by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
‘Geisha standing on the quay watching a departing pleasure boat. A scene that shows Kuniyoshi’s wonderful eye for detail such as in the pose of the geta (Japanese clogs)‘
‘Three geisha on the streets and a laborer carrying a giant pole‘
‘Geisha on a boat underneath a bridge observing the activities on the shore‘
‘Four page fold-out scene below that takes place on the veranda of a restaurant with many interactions between various people‘
‘Sensual encounter between a geisha and client with the first stimulating her private parts to facilitate him. The screen in the background depicts sparrows in flight.‘
