The Colorful Erotic World of Ikeda Eisen

Marijn Kruijff
20 juli 2018

The following ten designs by Ikeda Eisen (1790-1848) are from a series called ‘Mitsukumi sakazuki‘ (c.1820s)…

‘Horny geisha‘ (c.1820s)

Unknown Territory

A secret appointment between an experienced geisha and a young lover near the shore. She is impatient and moves her right hand into his kimono. He is reticent because love is still unknown territory to him.

‘Geisha and client‘ (c.1820s)

Pillow

A geisha prepares for intercourse by moving the takamakura (pillow), so that she can lay her neck comfortably, and directing the client’s penis towards her private parts.

‘Grim look‘ (c.1820s)

Grim

A love-making couple in the straightforward pose. His grim look betrays that he is really trying to do his best.

‘Moxa treatment‘ (c.1820s)

Jolly

A female has rolled up her sleeves to submit herself to a moxa* treatment executed by the jolly man sitting next to her.

‘Geisha, maiko and client‘ (c.1820s)

Snowy Bridge

In a cabin near a riverside, a man is entertaining himself with a geisha. Behind the, partly visible a maiko (geisha trainee) is watching them. In the background one can see a snowy village and passersby on a bridge.

‘On a bench‘ (c.1820s)

Exploratory

Like the previous image, we can see a couple with a village and a bridge in the background. In this case, it’s springtime and the couple is still in the exploratory phase of their intimacy.

‘Couple with monkey‘ (c.1820s)

Monkey

A hilarious design with a monkey trainer who has an intimate rendezvous with a mistress while his “livelihood” (who is connected with a rope to his kimono) is examining a shungabook.

‘On the porch‘ (c.1820s)

Sweaty Lovebirds

During a hot summer day a pair of sweaty lovebirds sitting on a porch are wringing out their soaked kimono’s.

‘Oiran and lover in the rice field‘ (c.1820s)

Mask

A high-class courtesan (oiran) has a secret rendezvous between the stacks of rice straw with her masked lover near a stream. During their passionate embrace his mask has been moved up, making his face completely visible.

‘Fingering‘ (c.1820s)

Significant Other

A man is passionately kissing his significant other while stroking her private parts in the meantime.

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*moxa is a dried mugwort, that is applied while burning to a person’s body. It is a kind of medical treatment. You can find more info on moxa in the following article.

Who is your favorite ukiyo-e shunga artist?