Title: Hōhi-gassen and Yō-Mono Dansei-ki Kurabe Emaki (Farting Battle and Phallic Contest Picture Scrolls), Circa 1700-1750. Over Ten Meters of Farting Nobles and Dick Measuring Paintings. What A Strange Title Indeed
Author: After Toba Sojo
Condition: Very Good
A pair of Mid-Edo Period, 18th century emakimono handscrolls, dubbed Hōhi-gassen and Yō-Mono Dansei-ki Kurabe, otherwise known as the Farting Battle and Phallic Contest Picture Scrolls.
As the titles quite literally entail, the first scroll depicts a series of various battle scenes, with flatulence as the weapon of choice. We open with a scene of naked men refreshing themselves with water to generate their ammunition, and then the contest begins with a horde of naked men jumping about and inducing mighty farts upon their foes. Makeshift shields in the form of fans, collecting a bag of farts as a powerful weapon, and even farting so mightily that a board game is knocked over, there is quite the variety of scenes unfolding. It should be noted that the farts have been painted in for added, unnerving detail.
The second scroll is that of what in modern terms is best described as a Dick Measuring Contest, where a number of competitors, with massive, unwieldy genitalia compete, some with penises so large they require a wheelbarrow to be towed. It’s rather entertaining that this piece opens with the more prudish nobles being chased away before the competition begins.
These scrolls are copied after the "Victory Picture" scroll, created around 1110 to 1125 by Toba Sojo or his contemporary Buddhist sculptor, where the first half depicts a "phallic ( male genitalia ) contest" and the second half depicts a "farting battle’.
The emakimono have been bound in a scroll format for preservation, with green decorated covers, and there are small jikusaki (knobs) made of lacquered wood. There is a narrow wooden box to accompany it, preserving the scroll.
Two emakimono (picture scrolls) on paper, 23.9 x 548; 23.9 x 510 cm. The knobs are not included as part of the measurement.
These handscrolls are in very good shape, with some rubbing and wear to the covers. There is some general soiling and toning throughout, and a few pinprick worm holes.