JAPANESE ART > ABUNA-E WOODBLOCK PRINTS > A BEAUTY OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY

Lot 00871
N.1 abuna-e woodblock print

Keisai Eisen

A BEAUTY OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY

Year: 1817
Condition: fair
Size: 13 x 19 cm

SOLD

Refined okubi-e (大首絵) portrait taken from the first volume of the erotic book "Midare Gami" (美多礼嘉見), that is "Hair in Disarray", and depicting the close-up of a gorgeous courtesan. In the upper part of this abuna-e (あぶな絵) "dangerous image", made in 1817 by the famous artist Keisai Eisen (渓斎英泉), we read a very detailed description of the private parts of this woman.

The inscription reads "Gokuhin hirokarazu katakarazu usuge no bobo" (極品不廣不堅薄毛陰) and outlines, in a very concise way and with a rapid sequence of ideograms, the qualities of a vagina which, in the order in which the author describes it, is to be considered of the highest quality since it is not wide, not rigid and with sparse pubic hair.

The rare print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the obvious signs of aging including tiny holes, is in overall fair condition.

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