Osaka Artist (Kai--): Two Very Bawdy Erotic Shunga Prints (SOLD)

Artist: Osaka Artist ("Kai")
Title: Two Humorous Erotic Scenes with Bawdy Parodies of Song Lyrics
Date: Ca. 1840s-50s

Pair of humorous erotic scenes with lines of text that are parodies of famous singing tunes from the Osaka/Kyoto area that were meant to be accompanied by a shamisen. The first: Daishinban Owarai gusa bushi (Song of the Dai-shin Version of a Laughing Stock).  In this one we see a scene imitating the Kumi-jikken (head-viewing ceremony) of viewing the decapitated heads of enemies following a battle. Here, the samurai have penis heads for heads, and on the viewing pedestal is a vulva in the shape of a head. The content of the songs is too bawdy and full of slang to attempt to translate. The second bears the title The Dai-Shin Version (Dai-shin-ban), Song of Pine Tree....(Matsu .... bushi).  An older woman carrying a basket for mushroom hunting is amazed by what she’s found poking up out of the ground beneath a pine tree where mushrooms normally emerge. Phalluses! What she has found at the scene is described in the lines of singing text, a parody that goes something like “The first is excited, the second anticipating, the third stands up straight, the fourth is wrinkled....” and so on. The author of these profound verses is noted as Tomonari Sen. Very scarce.

SKU: SHG010