Description
Refined abuna-e (あぶな絵) “dangerous image” depicting a couple of young lovers reading a shunpon (春本), literally a “spring book”, that is an illustrated erotic book.
The polychrome woodblock print, of vertical yotsugiri (四つ切り) format, is taken from the volume “Picture Book, Amorous Twelve Signs of the Zodiac” (艶本重似誌) made in 1820 by the famous artist Keisai Eisen (渓斎英泉) in collaboration with the writer Koshoku Sanjin (好色山人), pseudonym of Hanagasa Bunkyo (花笠文京).
The rare print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the obvious signs of aging including slight cracks in the lower left corner reinforced on the back with a restoration, is in overall fair condition.
