Artist: Suzuki Harunobu [鈴木春信] (Japanese, c. 1725–1770)
Signed: Harunobu ga 春信画 (on the folding screen)
Publisher: Possibly Ezakiya Kichibei (江崎屋吉兵衛, c. 1773–1852); seal on the man’s sleeve; Marks 08-001 | 058
Date: c. 1769–70 (Meiwa 6–7)
Media: Woodblock print (nishiki-e, 錦絵); ink and colour on paper; Horizontal chūban (中判横絵), 209 × 280 mm
Catalogue raisonné: [LIB-1552.2018] David Waterhouse, The Harunobu Decade: A Catalogue of Woodcuts by Suzuki Harunobu and His Followers in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2 vols. — Leiden: Hotei Publishing, 2013. Image no. 461 in vol. 2; text on p. 268 in vol. 1.
Reference: MFA Accession Number: 21.4643: Courtesan Blowing Smoke in Man's Face
Title: Courtesan and Client on a Triple Mattress (mitsu futon) [三つ蒲団の上の遊女と客].
A courtesan and her client recline in an intimate pose on a triple-layered mattress (mitsu futon, 三つ蒲団) within a screened interior. The woman mischievously blows smoke into the man’s eye while he reaches under her kimono. She wears an elaborately layered robe and green sash and holds a long smoking pipe (kiseru, 煙管), suggesting playful erotic teasing. The room is furnished with a tray holding smoking implements, a lacquer box, and folded tissue paper. Behind the couple lies a disordered tangle of bedding, while the folding screen in the background features a painted bamboo motif, suggesting a private, secluded setting.
This print is one of several known states of the composition. According to David Waterhouse, this is likely the third state, following earlier versions with a more elaborate treatment of the figures' sleeves and possibly an original, more explicit shunga edition. The composition may have been inspired by a similar pose in Ishikawa Toyonobu’s Iro tsugan (色通), an erotic picture album.
Additional Information
| Collection | Erotica , Japanese prints and drawings |
|---|---|
| Type / Purpose | Fine art , Woodblock print |
| Period | 18 AD , Edo period [江戸時代] (1603–1868) , Late 18th century , Meiwa era [明和] (1764–1772) |
| Country | Japan |
| Subject | 18th century , Erotica , Japan , Japanese woodblock prints , Love , Sex , Sexual life , Shunga |
| Media/Technique | Ink and color on paper , Woodblock print (nishiki-e) |
| Size | Horizontal chuban |
| Creation / Publishing year | 1769 , 1770 |
| Catalogue raisonne | Waterhouse 2013 |
| Acquisition year | 2015 |
