Title: Gan Hi No Ito Guchi (Wishing Thread), Circa 1810-1860. A Beautifully Hand Painted Emakimono Handscroll of Utamaro’s Originally Printed Shunga Work, With Ten Erotic Pairings
Author: After Kitagawa Utamaro
Condition: Very Good
A Late Edo Period, early to mid 19th century emakimono handscroll, being a beautifully hand painted copy of Kitagawa Utamaro’s (1753-1806) Gan Hi No Ito Guchi or Wishing Thread, one of his more famous examples of printed shunga texts and expertly copying the original woodblock illustrations.
There are ten large paintings displaying men and women of different stature, though most of the women appear to be geishas or courtesans, and the men, possibly different clients. From the colors and details of the vestments and garments worn, to the facial expressions of each figure, the copyist has expertly reproduced Utamaro’s scenes of passionate love quite nicely.
An ukiyo-e artist of the Mid-Edo Period, and member of the Kitagawa Clan, Utamaro was commonly known as Ichitaro and Yusuke during his early years and known by other names such as Sekiyo and Mokuen. He studied under the artist Toriyama Sekien and is said to have appeared in the ukiyo-e world in 1775 under the pen name Kitagawa Toyoaki. Alongside Katsushika Hokusai, Utamaro is regarded as one of the great masters of shunga productions and showed excellent skills in hand-painted painting.
The paintings have been laid down and bound in a scroll for preservation, with a beautiful brocade decorated cover.
One brocade bound emakimono (picture scroll) on paper, 31 x 400 cm
This emakimono is in very good shape, with minor wear and rubbing to the brocade. There are a few creases and minor cracks, but it is mostly the gold bordering the paintings that have cracked more heavily.