RANBO MAKIMONO: JAPANESE SEX ORGY SCROLL: A Color-Painted Manuscript Hand-Scroll

[Japan n.d. before 1890]. Silk-brocade hand-scroll, painted in colors on paper, backed with cloth, carved ends, silk- ribbon tie,23.5 x 240 cm. long, 4 each paintings ca. 50 x 19 cm, the scroll is 19 x 209 cm. * SUPERB ORIGINAL PAINTING !* . *** *** *** . . COLOR PAINTINGS OF . . . KYOSAI'S ZANY PERSPECTIVE ON LOVE-MAKING . . . LICENTIOUSNESS OF GROUP SEX . . . A HIGHLY SUPERB & STUNNINGLY FASCINATING UNIQUE PAINTING ! . . . A HORIZONTAL HAND SCROLL . * This work consists of four very zany color painted erotic scenes involving a number of men and women intertwined. As usual it reads from right to left. . This is a spring-time [Shun] celebration and Hana-mi [Cherry Blossom viewing] festival time. It shows a curtained area within the blossoming cherry trees, and a small group of men and women, all of which have far too much to drink. All the people display pinkness in their face, being somewhat drunk, It can also indicate sexual excitement. More or less an expression of all concerned ! . After drinking several bottles of hot Saki [rice wine] the celebratory mood has drifted into a sexually charged atmosphere, as the Cherry blossom viewers strip their clothing and joyfully engaged in group sex play. . *** THE SCENES: . 1. The scene of three men and four women each sexually engaged with partners, while the group shares the heat of ecstasy and carnal pleasures. Those partially clothed expose their genitals, kiss, embrace, make wild and passionate love. . 2.Illustrates a group of six men as they ravish a blissful woman. She eagerly and joyfully submits. . 3. This shows five women as they joyfully ravage a man. He fully "engages" each woman by all means: hand, foot & penis. Each woman flushes pink, expressing an orgiastic state. . 4. Exhibits a wayside tea shop for exhausted travelers. It was notorious that many of the "tea-maidens" working in such road-side tea-shops were actually willing prostitutes who earned the majority of their income by sexually assaulting resting strangers! Here they ply their trade! . This fascinating scene shows three traveling men who have stopped for tea and rest. Three tea-maids willingly avail themselves by opening their Kimono revealing no under garments, exposing their vagina's to the quickly excited men who display huge erect penis, and take charge. . Two couples engage in love making and fore-play on the Tatami-covered benches. The third young man, apparently quite drunk sports the "Hi no Yoshin" ["fire watch" pouch], while he thumbs her the third tea-maid's anal orifice while making love to her. The tray of tea cups flies off the bench! . The lovely spring time scenery and season clearly noted by a hanging flags advertising seasonal food & drinks. . *** SHUNGA: A RITE OF SPRING IN JAPAN: . Spring or Haru, also that character read as Shun relates to the awakening of erotic feelings and name-sake of the famous erotic style illustrations known as SHUN-GA or "PICTURES OF SPRING." After a long cold winter people's attention now focus on the warmth of Spring, rebirth of flowers and the 'blossoming' of erotic emotions. These kinds of illustrations are eternal in the Japanese heart, and focus on the joys of sex and companionship and intimate relations between men and women. The Japanese have an open attitude toward sex and do not have the inhibitions of western prudish influence. . *** THE ARTIST: KAWANABE GYOSAI [1831-1889] aka. later known by his common "studio name," KYOSAI. . As usual, this and most all erotic works in Japan of the period were not signed by the artist's true name. . Erotic works were banned by the Shogun and jail time was required for anyone caught painting, printing or publishing 'banned Shunga works.' The work therefore lacks an artist's name and the Kiwame [censor] or Shogun's seal of approval. . The work is clearly done in Gyosai's firm, steady hand, in his unmistakable and eminent style with flair, humor and zest. We there for attribute the artist to be [Kawanabe Kyosai] being unsigned. . This amazing work is a delight to behold. It representing Kyosai's inimitable character, poking fun, gyrations, licentiousness, 'license' to simply enjoy the pleasures of uninhibited love-making. It reflects his sense of humor, his zany characteristics, illustrating the uninhibited pleasures of both men and women fully engaged in one of life's most enjoyable pleasures. Simply gazing at the facial expressions is enough to comprehend Kyosai's true intentions. . Kyosai was one of the leading artist of zany subject matter and was one of the most skilled and admired painters and woodblock print-maker of the period. . This work is more than likely the original artistic expression of Kyosai. . It is a well-known fact, that his star pupil Mano Kyotei often signed Kyosai's name in later years to his own works produced between ca. 1890-1910, and was well-known for his Kyosai copies. Regardless, Mano works were done in the name of "adoration and respect" for his teacher. They both worked in the same studio. It’s also a well-known fact that Kyosai acquiesce to Mano's signing Kyosai's name to works he [Kyosai] felt were the embodiment of his "soul & nature." . While others were merely poor copies or just plain fakes ! . *** THE SCROLL DETAILS: This hand-hand scroll has a blue silk-brocade floral cloth cover, gold-foil title slip [blank], a blue silk flat ribbon tie with bamboo clip. . The scroll contains four very large [double-page] erotic color painted scenes. Each scenes is about 52 x 20.5 cm., with 2.5 cm. top & bottom borders and 2 cm. dividers, all made of gold & silver-flecked Washi [hand-made] mulberry fiber paper. . The whole scroll is backed with cotton cloth for strength and body. . The two wood "end's" of the scroll are hand-carved designs. This hand-scroll is cloth-backed, each of the four NOTE: Please visit our website for books, scrolls & prints by books by and about Kyosai. Also posted to our website are a number of "Shunga" or "Shun Bon," erotic Japanese books and prints. . *** CONDITION; Each of the four paintings are firmly laid-down against the cotton backing cloth. . There is some of the typical 'transfer' of color through the paper to the cotton cloth backing. This does not affect any painting or bleed through to any other drawings. All paintings are free from stain or damage. . There are eleven tiny dot old worm holes in the top margin near the end of the scroll just at and before where it is mounted to the wooden bar. . The painting is firmly mounted to its center wooden bar with hand-carved decorative ends. . A superb example of Japanese licentious "Shunga" period painting. . *** Color photos are posted to our website. . *** BIBLIOGRAPHY: . BUCKLAND, Rosina. et al. A JAPANESE MENAGERIE: Animal Pictures of Kawanabe Kyosai. * KAWANABE Kyosai [later known as Gyosai]: Is well collected by world museums en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawanabe_Ky%C5%8Dsai . Wikipedia stated about this title: "The most important work about Kyosai's art and life was written by himself: Kyosai Gadan, or "Kyosai's Treatise on Painting", half autobiography and half painting manual. * WESTERN APPRECIATORS: Many westerners came to visit Kyosai, and their memoirs about the artist are valuable. The two important ones, both rare, were: Emile Etienne Guimet, Promenades Japonaises, Paris, 1880. * Josiah Conder: "Paintings and Studies by Kawanabe Kyosai," Tokyo, 1911. Conder was a serious student of Japanese art; after some initial rejections, he was accepted as Kyosai's pupil, and accompanied him for ten years until the master's death. * Timothy Clark, Demon of painting: the art of Kawanabe Kyosai, p.186 chronology, and the drawing #21, p.58 is very similar to the pose found in our painting of OTOHIME [Toyotama-hime], both in pose, facial quality, hair style and the general perspective. * ROBERTS, Laurance P.: A DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE ARTISTS: PAINTING, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, PRINTS, LACQUER, p.100, stated of him: [Kyosai] "...was marked by a wild, eccentric humor...caricatures of full of fantasy and invention..." * [KAWANABE KYOSAI MEMORIAL MUSEUM]. KAWANABE KYOSAI DOKU HON. * Please check our website we may have some of the above references in stock. . * .