Picture Book of the Hitachi Obi (Enpon futahashira)
Original title: Picture Book of the Hitachi Obi (Enpon futahashira) 艶本婦多柱
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many of Utamaro's single-sheet prints, this is a set of three woodblock-printed books made around 1803, printed in ink on paper. Their pages present scenes from Japanese daily life, among them a woman with a fan and a kissing couple, opening a window onto the private pictorial worlds of the period.
Description
Two book pages are on view. On the left a woman in traditional dress sits in a room bounded by a bamboo hedge and flowering shrubs, a fan in her hand. The right-hand page gives a couple in kimonos and umbrella hats, kissing, set within a landscape of mountains and trees. Black-and-white illustrations with detailed lines and crisp contours shape both pages, which are framed by accompanying passages of text.
Context
This book was made around 1803, in the late Edo period, when erotically charged woodblock-printed books (shunga) circulated widely. It belongs to the enpon genre, intended for private circles and often valued as works of art in their own right for their craftsmanship. Utamaro's reputation rests above all on his portrayals of women, which show through here as well.
Impact
An intimate yet aesthetic mood emanates from the detailed lines and the calm layout. Tenderness and everyday scenes are presented with restraint and elegance, despite the erotic subject.
Technique
The books were produced by woodblock printing with ink on paper. Precise lines and clear contours testify to the accuracy of the process, which demanded a high degree of manual skill.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)