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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Mutual oral sex‘ (c.1900)

'Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima –.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Sex Workers" data-excerpt="After a relatively liberal period after 1543, in which the interactions between foreigners and the Japanese were fairly flexible, the Tokugawa shogunate introduced stricter regulations from 1639. Dejima – Protruding.." data-featured-image="https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/shungagallery.com/2236/wp/Yokohama-e-Train393.jpg" class="smart-content-link sc-link" href="https://shungagallery.com/dejima/">Westerner and prostitute' (c.1818-1830) by an unknown Nagasaki artist

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘Candid fellatio‘ (c.1850) by Utagawa school

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

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

‘Couple performing mutual oral sex‘ (Meiji era).

‘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. 
She embraces his mysterious private parts.’ (c.1855) from the series ‘Shunkyo karami-dako (Spring Games: Grappling Octopus)‘ by Utagawa Kunisada II

Another impression from the previous Kunisada II design with text

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

‘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

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

‘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)

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)

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

‘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)