Japanese Shunga Woodblock Print Diptych

A lady drifts on a raft while the ferryman pretends to mind his pole.

This shunga woodblock print diptych, Beauty Observed, comes from Japan and dates to the Meiji Period (1868 – 1912 CE). It is ink on paper. Shunga were erotic prints produced alongside mainstream ukiyo-e, often with humor and a strong sense of narrative, and they circulated widely among townspeople. Across two sheets, a reclining woman in a red and blue patterned kimono floats on a dark mat over choppy blue waves. A ferry with a thatched cabin passes alongside, and lines of calligraphy fill a pink sky above. A duck paddles by. It is 12.5 inches wide and 9 high.

The duck, at least, has the decency to look away.