Shunga is the erotic
art and pornography of the Edo period
(17th-19th centuries) - sometimes paintings,
but more usually woodblock prints. The
prints were particularly cheap - often
less than the cost of a bowl of noodles
- and far less than the services on offer
in the pleasure quarters. For this reason
they were very popular with the predominantly
male population of the cities. The prints
were, however, quite beautiful, and were
produced by all of the major artists of
the period, most notably Hokusai who is
probably the most well-known such Japanese
artist. Although now freely available,
shunga was made illegal in the
Meiji period as the government feared
it would offend the Christian sensibilities
of the increasing number of foreigners
entering Japan. |