Why Is Oral Sex Seldomly Seen in the Art of Shunga?
Marijn Kruijff
11/24/2017
8 min
4

Why Is Oral Sex Seldomly Seen in the Art of Shunga?

11/24/2017
8 min
4


Shunga art displaying oral sex with a female performing fellatio on a male or vice versa are relatively rare.

Oral Sex Art

The reason oral sex (fellatio) scenes appear rarely in shunga has to do with the portrayal of exaggerated male organs. In the Edo period a small mouth was considered an element of feminine beauty. A combination of the two was simply not doable, although artists did find ways around this to show oral stimulation as we can see in the rare examples below…

Shunga print of female performing felation to her husband

Fellatio‘ (c.1838) from the series ‘Hana no miyakoji‘ by Utagawa Kunisada (1797-1861)

A completely naked male is leaning forwards while resting on his hands while the courtesan is performing fellatio on him.

Shunga print of a female performing oral sex to her husband

Female performing fellatio‘ from the series ‘Nezamedoko ikuyo no mutsugoto‘ by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865)

A couple in a similar pose as the previous Kunisada design with the man lighting the lantern behind them and his female lover performing oral sex on him.

Shunga print with a man and woman in pose 69 performing oral sex

Pose 69‘ (c.1853) from the series ‘Shikido 18 kajo’ by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861)

A rare Kuniyoshi design with the couple performing mutual oral sex in the sixty-nine pose.

Shunga print of a man and womand performing mutual oral sex

Mutual oral sex‘ (c.1848-1854) from the series ‘Shunshoku Irifune nikki‘ by Utagawa Kunimori II (act. ca.1830–1861)

An intimate couple focusing on each other’s genitals.  The big gold-lacquered screen behind them portrays a spring scene with swallows and peonies. A nice detail is the foot of the woman directing the man’s hand.

Meiji/Taisho era painting of an intimate couple in the 69 pose

Meiji/Taisho era painting of an intimate couple in the 69 pose

Below you can find two scenes depicting cunnilingus…

Male using his tongue to stimulate to the geisha's genitals

Male using his tongue to stimulate to the geisha’s genitals‘ (c.1820) attrib. to Katsukawa Shunsen (1762-1830)

Young monk performing cunnilingus

Young monk performing cunnilingus‘ (c.1890) by an anonymous Meiji artist

Young Buddhist monk performing oral sex

Young Buddhist monk performing oral sex‘ (c.1890s) attributed to Takeuchi Keishu (1861-1942)

Couple in the 69 pose underneath a mosquito-net

Couple in the 69 pose underneath a mosquito-net‘ (c.1900) by an unknown Meiji artist

Couple in the 69 pose

Couple in the 69 pose‘ (c.1850) by Utagawa Kunimori II (act. ca. 1848-1860)

Painting of a man and woman in pose 69

Pose 69‘ (c.1899) by Ikeda Terukata (1883-1921)

Performing mutual oral sex

Mutual oral sex‘ (c.1900)

shunga scroll painting with Westerner and courtesan by unknown Nagasaki painter

'Westerner and prostitute' (c.1818-1830) by an unknown Nagasaki artist

Painting of a couple in the 69 pose

Painting of a ‘Couple in the 69 pose’ (c.1910s) by an unknown artist

Male licking the private parts of his female lover

Male licking the private parts of his female lover‘ (c.1840) attributed to Kuniyoshi

Man and woman performing muutal oral sex

Mutual oral sex‘ (c.18oo) from the Kitagawa (Utamaro) school

oral sex art Ōyogari no koe (Call of Geese Meeting at Night) by Toyokuni

Oral sex art‘ (c.1822) from the series ‘Ōyogari no koe (Call of Geese Meeting at Night)‘ by Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825)

oral sex art: Scroll painting 'Aristocratic female performing oral sex' (late 17th century) by an unknown

Scroll painting ‘Aristocratic female performing oral sex‘ (late 17th century)by unknown “primitive” artist

oral sex art

A male, only sporting his fundoshi (underwear), is performing cunnilingus on a courtesan‘ (c.1820s) by an unknown Osaka artist

couple having candid fellatio

Candid fellatio‘ (c.1850) by Utagawa school

Couple performing mutual oral sex

Couple performing 69 pose‘ (c.1850) by Utagawa school

Geisha performing fellatio on a young client

Geisha performing fellatio on a young client‘ (c.1850s) attrib. to Koikawa Shozan

oral sex art: Couple performing mutual oral sex from the Meiji

Couple performing mutual oral sex‘ (Meiji era).

print with Close-up of a couple performing oral sex on each other

Close-up of a couple performing oral sex on each other‘ (c.1930) by an unknown Japanese artist

A black man (most probably an Ethiopian) performing cunnilingus on a high-class courtesan. by Kunisada II

A black man (most probably an Ethiopian) performing cunnilingus on a high-class courtesan. 
She embraces his mysterious private parts.’ (c.1855) from the series ‘Shunkyo karami-dako (Spring Games: Grappling Octopus)‘ by Utagawa Kunisada II

oral sex art

Another impression from the previous Kunisada II design with text

A Westerner sporting sideburns performing oral sex on a Japanese geisha.' (c.1890) by an unknown Meiji artist

A Westerner sporting sideburns performing
cunnilingus on a Japanese geisha.’ (c.1890) by an unknown Meiji artist

oral sex art : A male performing oral sex while the female caresses his penis with her toes. In the front, a female is enjoying herself with a harigata tied to her heel'

A male performing oral sex while the female caresses his penis with her toes. In the front, a female is enjoying herself with a harigata tied to her heel‘ (c.1840s) by Utagawa school

oral sex art: 'Female about to perform a blowjob'

Nude female lover about to give a blowjob‘ (c.1850) from the series ‘Twelve Little Treasures‘ by Utagawa school

oral sex art: An experienced geisha performs fellatio on a young male client' (c.1765) 'Ehon haru no yume’ by Kikukawa Hidenobu

An experienced geisha performs fellatio on a young male client‘ (c.1765) ‘Ehon haru no yume’ by Kikukawa Hidenobu (active 1760s–1770s), (Source: ‘Сюнга. Откровенное искусство Японии / Shunga. Explicit art of Japan‘, 2016. Authors: A. E. Pushakova, K. G. Danelya)

oral sex art: Rare close-up of a 'male performing oral sex' (c.1825) from the series 'Kon kurabe tama no ase' by Utagawa Sadashige

Rare close-up of a ‘male performing oral sex‘ (c.1825) from the series ‘Kon kurabe tama no ase‘ by Utagawa Sadashige (Source: ‘Сюнга. Откровенное искусство Японии / Shunga. Explicit art of Japan‘, 2016. Authors: A. E. Pushakova, K. G. Danelya)

oral sex art: Male laborer performing cunnilingus on a female colleague

Male laborer performing cunnilingus on a female colleague‘ (c.1850) by Utagawa school

young couple fellatio erotic art

Young female beauty performing oral sex on a young male lover‘ (c.1860) from the series ‘Sankai hikan (The Secret Scroll of the Three Vaginas)‘ by Utagawa Kunisada II (1823-1880)

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