Utagawa Kunisada's Complete Masterpiece 'Azuma Genji'

02 februari 2020

The consummate ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) was fascinated by The Tale of Genji and treated the subject in many of his designs, series and books. There are three erotic book series inspired by the Genji theme (‘The Three Genji‘) known from Kunisada’s hand, and (Kachō yojō) Azuma Genji (Deep Feelings of Birds and Flowers, Genji of the East), issued in 1837, is the second one.

Catch the Light

The particular strength of Azuma Genji, in comparison to the other titles, is the sensuous beauty and technical finesse of the block-carving and printing. The dazzling scope of colors is apparent at first sight, and when we examine the books at various angles to catch the light in different ways we become aware of its exceptional range of technical adornment.

Three-dimensionality

The gold, silver and mica sparkles brightly, and there is substantial use of the kimedashi technique (embossing with a concave block) and karazuri (blind printing/ gauffrage), whereby un-inked blocks are used to create textures and a sense of three-dimensionality in the paper.

Shomenzuri

Finally, the technique of shomenzuri (polishing) is also evident, in which a printed area of color has its paper surface rubbed smooth and shiny. In fact, all of the many special techniques used to embellish ukiyo-e prints are mobilized to the maximum in this work.

Fig.1. ‘Image of introductory text‘ (c.1837) from the series ‘(Kachō yojō) Azuma Genji (Deep Feelings of Birds and Flowers, Genji of the East)‘ by Utagawa Kunisada

Extravagantly

It was the semi-underground status of shunga books that ironically permitted such extravagantly luxurious editions, which would have banned under normal restrictive regulations.

Fig.2. ‘Okubi-e (close-up portrait) of a geisha holding on to a takamakura (geisha pillow)‘

Pinnacle of Ecstasy

Azuma Genji contains among others the beautiful love scene, with the two naked bodies, the man on top of the woman caught in the pinnacle of her ecstasy (Fig.8), or the image of a man trying to seduce a young reluctant geisha probably called to entertain him with the koto in the background (Fig.11), or a couple lying on the floor in intimacy (Fig.14).

Monk and Nurse

One of the most famous scenes is the ironic love affair between a wet nurse and an old monk who is paying a visit to her house (Fig.21). The nurse, entwined with him at the climactic moment, is grabbing his nose, while the monk is trying to pull her hand away and continue making love. The last of the three books, published in 1851, was entitled ‘An Illustrated Account of Coupled Genji (Sho-utsushi Aioi Genji).’

Fig.3. ‘Courtiers and cats‘

Mounting Cat

With the cherry blossom in full bloom, a male cat claims the leading role by mounting the crouching female (Fig.3). A male and female courtier observe the cats outside and inside the reed blinds, and also become inspired to spring romance.

Tragic Consequences

One can just see the prince’s hand slipping into the red robe of the isolated princess. This is a direct reworking of chapter thirty-four, ‘Spring Shoots, part one (Wakana jo)‘ of the original Tale of Genji, in which the courtier Kashiwagi catches an unexpected glimpse of the Third Princess when her cat runs out onto the veranda of the palace and falls hopelessly in love – with tragic consequences.

Fig.4. ‘Mature geisha jerking off a young adolescent male‘

Fig.5. ‘High-class courtesan penetrated doggy-style‘

Fig.6. ‘A nude couple is caught when the door of their darkened room is opened‘

Fig.7. ‘Older monk performs cunnilingus on a female courtier (probably a parody on priest Dōkyō and Empress Kōken)‘

Fig.8. ‘Passionate encounter‘

Fig.9. ‘Fingering including insert with a close-up of the insides of the vagina)‘

Fig.10. ‘Close-up portrait of a shy beauty‘

Fig.11. ‘Reluctant geisha‘

Fig.12. ‘An oiran and client try to hide their intimate actions from the toddler in the foreground‘

Fig.13. ‘Ecstatic couple‘

Fig.14. ‘A male kissing his lover while caressing her private parts‘

Fig.15. ‘Close-up of a penis stroking the vulva‘

Fig.16. ‘Okubi-e of a geisha with black teeth (ohaguro) biting a tissue‘

Fig.17. ‘A male lover cleaning his penis after intercourse‘

Fig.18. ‘An obtrusive wealthy client tries to stick his tongue in to the mouth of the reluctant geisha while penetrating her vagina with almost his entire hand‘

Fig.19. ‘Blissful intimate couple in a tight embrace. The male lover is most probably Prince Genji and one of his numerous sexual conquests‘

Fig.20. ‘Masturbating geisha‘

Fig.21. ‘Monk and wet-nurse‘

Fig.22. ‘Intercourse close-up including insert of the interior of the vagina‘

Fig.23. ‘Closing credits…text…’ (c.1837) from the series ‘(Kachō yojō) Azuma Genji (Deep Feelings of Birds and Flowers, Genji of the East)‘ by Utagawa Kunisada by Utagawa Kunisada

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Sources: ‘Shunga, Sex and Pleasure in Japanese Art‘ issued by the British Museum
‘Poem of the Pillow and Other Stories by Utamaro, Hokusai, Kuniyoshi…..‘ by Gian Carlo Calza

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