Scroll with twelve erotic scenes

Art Historical Context

This handscroll from the early 18th century offers a vivid glimpse into the playful and expressive world of Japanese erotic art. Created by an artist of the Hishikawa School—followers of the pioneering ukiyo-e master Hishikawa Moronobu—the work features twelve sequential scenes rendered in delicate ink and mineral colors on paper. The handscroll format invites intimate, gradual viewing, as each section is unrolled to reveal intimate moments between lovers, often accompanied by witty poetry or dialogue. In the Edo period, such shunga scrolls were popular among all social classes, serving not o...