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Shunga: Sex and Pleasure in Japanese Art
£39.00£47.50 (-18%)
Discover Japanese art like no other. Originally created by the artists of the ukiyo-e ‘school of the floating world’ to advertise brothels in 17th-century Yoshiwara, these popular ‘spring pictures’ (shunga) transcended class and gender in Japan for almost 300 years. These tender, humorous and brightly coloured pieces celebrate sexual pleasure in all its forms, culminating in the beautiful, yet graphic, work of iconic artists Utamaro, Hokusai and Kunisada. This catalogue of a major international exhibition aims to answer some key questions about what shunga is and why was it produced. Erotic Japanese art was heavily suppressed in Japan from the 1870s onwards as part of a process of cultural ‘modernisation’ that imported many contemporary western moral values. Only in the last twenty years or so has it been possible to publish unexpurgated examples in Japan and this ground-breaking publication presents this fascinating art in its historical and cultural context for the first time. Within Japan, shunga has continued to influence modern forms of art, including manga, anime and Japanese tattoo art. Drawing on the latest scholarship and featuring over 400 images of works from major public and private collections, this landmark book sheds new light on this unique art form within Japanese social and cultural history. Shunga: sex and pleasure in Japanese art is published to accompany an exhibition at the British Museum from October 2013 to January 2014.
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Additional information
| Publisher | British Museum Press, 1st edition (14 Oct. 2013) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 566 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0714124761 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0714124766 |
| Dimensions | 24.5 x 4 x 28.9 cm |
by Stelios
Large size, good collection of images of the subject but I strongly dislike art publications when the text is equally or more important as the pictures themselves, especially when it affects their size. I believe that with richer image collections of the masters it could be much better.
by Stephen Allen
Delivery of item much quicker than expected; just a couple of days.
Very pleased all round. Thank you.
by ipjackie
If I were in London now, I’ll definitely go to see this largest Shunga exhibition, but unfortunately I’m not. Therefore, the only solution is to purchase and read this book (the exhibition catalogue). It consists of five hundred something pages and is lavishly illustrated. For the time being, I do not have time to run through the whole book, but simply looking at the pictures inside it is an irreplaceable enjoyment. Considering such a large and beautiful book, the price is not expensive at all. About two years ago, the same publisher (The British Museum) published a book of the same nature, the title of the book is “Shunga: Erotic Art of Japan”. It uses the same cover as this book, I also ordered it from a book seller at once. I highly recommend this book to any reader who is interested in Japanese art (especially erotic art) or Japanese culture.
by David Platt
I bought this wonderful hardback before going along to the exhibition itself, which is great although smaller than I expected and not set in the great Court (used for ‘Beyond El Dorado’), but in galleries away from the main entrance.
The book is weighty, and a great volume to be perused beforehand. Gazing at fine print reproductions is often easier that viewing them at the exhibition. There are even a couple of screens reproduced in the book by multiple fold-out pages. Be warned, though, like any large catalogue it’s far too heavy to accompany any visit. Just lovely to read both before any visit and as a memory afterwards.
by paullo
Very nice collection of figures and assays. Many shunga paintings included, not just woodblock prints. The majority are those from the 17th century or earlier. I wish there would be more from the late Edo period. The book is very heavy that the only way you can read comfortably is on the table.
by T. Lash
Love this book, great information about Ukiyo-e and Shunga, brilliant composition of photos!!
by Raven
I was extremely pleased with this purchase. It arrived promptly and although second hand , I wouldn’t have known the book had been opened until I reached one of the foldout pages which has a slight crease in it and could have happened at the production stage. Great condition and a good price so I am happy that I took the risk.
by Hisao
Sadly enough, shungas rarely go on exhibition and hard to find to be in a good catalogue in Japan.
This book is probably the most comprehensive book ever published on shunga and the Japanese culture behind it.
This is not just informative but enjoyable to view. A must-have item for all the ukiyo-e fans who have not had chances so far to view shungas in good conditions.
A great bargain including shipping and handling cost form UK to Japan.