Kitagawa Utamaro. Series of horizontal ōhosoban shunga prints, c. 1803.

Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro [喜多川 歌麿] (Japanese, c. 1753 – 1806)

"This uncommon half-size horizontal ōban is most likely one design from a set of twelve prints issued late in Utamaro’s life".

[LIB-2971.2022. Japanese Erotic Fantasies, Hotei Publishing, 2005, p. 143, pl. 47].

The so-called "half-size horizontal ōban" format is typically defined as 12.7 × 38 cm. Richard Waldman and Chris Uhlenbeck describe it as tanzaku size (13 × 43 cm). In reality, however, the prints from this series measure approximately 17 × 38 cm, which corresponds precisely to the horizontal ōhosoban paper size.

I have assembled eleven of the purported twelve designs. In seven of them, the genitalia have been hand-coloured. It is unclear whether this was done by the publisher at a particular customer's request or later by an owner who found the uncoloured anatomical details too unnatural.

The current sequencing of the prints is arbitrary. A full transcription of the accompanying text may help establish the intended order.

As Japanese Erotic Fantasies put it: "a couple engaged in love-making, their stare fixed outside the picture plane". This is the only image of the series that has a reference in available Western literature and the only one found in museum collections: Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (RP-P-1999-2001-16); reference: Fukuda (ed.) (1990), pls. 11-2.

The scene of this print looks quite similar to that of Kiyonaga's Sode no maki: 

The woman is "a young lady-in-waiting of Shogun's Court or Daimyō's Mansion, enjoying a rare outing from her tedious chores" [Richard Lane]. She is fully dressed in her outer cloak (shikake), white paper hat (agebōshi or tsunokakushi), and toed socks (tabi).  A book or maybe, onkotogami (roll of tissues known as 'paper for honourable act' ) is still in the folds of her kimono. She is holding an open fan, either to cover her and her lover's faces from an unsolicited witness or to bring some fresh air to their joined lips. The pair just started their sexual intercourse.

This is a scene from medieval times. A courtier in an eboshi cap is having sex with an aristocratic young woman with a long, straight hairstyle (suihatsu).

Completely naked couple in the moment of ejaculation. Lavish garments with paulownia leaves on a yellow background counterbalance the white bodies on red bedding. The form of a woman's cheeks is telling, but I don't know about what. Maybe her advanced age?

The couple's pose and overall composition are similar to those of the previous sheet. Though the lovers are dressed, and the woman's hairdo is well kept, the male looks older, and the woman—younger.

A man takes a young maid from behind. She clenches the sleeve of her kimono in her teeth; it's either the moment of penetration (the beginning of intercourse) or of her orgasm (the end of it).

This seems to be a forced intercourse between a lackey with extensive bodily hair and a young maid from the same household.

This design is very much like the other one presented below, which is described in Japanese Erotic Fantasies on page 136 (pl. 43b) as follows: "The viewer peers through a mosquito net to see a child fast asleep, while his mother or wet-nurse moves towards her partner. On our print, there is no child; instead of a sleeping baby, there is a roll of onkotogami. Fewer objects make the overall image concise, almost laconic in comparison with the Ehon hana fubuki (1802) design:

A young couple in a moment of true love. He is listening to the beating of her heart.

This is a moment of true love between an old monk and a young samurai. The latter even did not take off his socks (tabi).

From Japanese Erotic Fantasies: "Boats played a crucial role in the workings of Yoshiwara, as they were the primary means of transport to the district. During the hot summer months, trips on pleasure boats were also a favourite pastime. Sex aboard a boat is a recurrent theme in Shunga".

The last print that I am currently lacking and hunting for:

I know where it is, but I cannot reach it... yet.