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c.1822 – Utagawa Toyokuni I – Ōyogari no Koe (Call of the Geese Meeting at Night) – Complete Shunga Book Set (3 Volumes) 
 
This complete three-volume shunga book set by Utagawa Toyokuni I, published circa 1822 during the late Edo period, represents one of the most ambitious works in 19th-century Japanese erotic woodblock printing.  Original Edo-period shunga books in complete condition are increasingly rare, particularly those attributed to the founder of the Utagawa school.
 
Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769–1825)
Date: Circa 1822, late Edo period
Format: Original woodblock-printed shunga books
Volumes: Complete set of three volumes
Illustrations:  46 finely worked erotic shunga designed-pages within the entire series, each illustrating short narrative scenes.  The remaining pages are elaborate kanji text pages.
Text: Erotic stories by Utei Enba II (1792–1862)
Dimensions (closed): 15.5 × 22.8 cm each volume
Condition: Very good to excellent condition for its age.  Complete examples of this series are seldom encountered in comparable preservation.
 
About the Work
Ōyogari no Koe (Call of the Geese Meeting at Night) is widely regarded as one of the most daring and conceptually ambitious shunga book sets of the late Edo period.  Designed by Utagawa Toyokuni I, founder of the Utagawa school and one of the most influential ukiyo-e artists of his generation, this series pushes well beyond the playful eroticism typical of earlier shunga. 
Rather than presenting isolated erotic encounters, the designs form a sequence of illustrated stories, combining humor, emotional tension, transgression, and dark psychological themes. The images are tightly composed, richly detailed, and unmistakably Toyokuni in their dramatic staging and expressive figures.
Scholars have long noted that this set represents a turning point in the shunga genre, introducing more confrontational subject matter and a willingness to explore taboo themes alongside satire and narrative complexity. While one image from the series has become particularly famous in academic literature for its extreme subject matter, it is important to emphasize that this is a complete narrative set, not a single sensational print. The artistic and historical value lies in the entire work as conceived, not one scene taken out of context.
 
Scholarly Context
Art historians have described Ōyogari no Koe as one of the most challenging and intellectually provocative shunga publications of the Edo period. The series reflects the broader 19th-century fascination with the boundaries between eroticism, mortality, humor, and fear—subjects that were not avoided in popular culture of the time. Toyokuni’s handling of these themes is deliberate and controlled, using refined line work, carefully balanced and theatrical composition to maintain artistic authority even when depicting unsettling material. As such, this set is frequently cited in reference works on shunga as one of the most extreme, yet historically significant examples of the genre.
 
Rarity & Collecting Notes
Complete, multi-volume shunga book sets by Toyokuni I are now rarely encountered. This is an incredible opportunity to acquire one of his most ambitious and historically important shunga series.  Few complete examples of Toyokuni I’s shunga book publications survive in such condition, and intact multi-volume sets are increasingly difficult to locate on the market.  "Among the erotic books of the late Edo period, Ōyogari no Koe stands apart for its willingness to push the expressive limits of the shunga genre.” — Timothy Clark, Shunga: Sex and Pleasure in Japanese Art.
 
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Read more about why complete Edo-period shunga book sets are becoming increasingly scarce.