RARE – c.1842 – Original Kunisada Shunga Book Volumes X 2 (near complete set, 2 of 3 total volumes)
 
Shunga Artist: Kunisada (Utagawa Toyokuni III) — Edo-Period Shunga Book Volumes X 2
Dated: c.1842 (Tenpō era) — Two Illustrated Volumes of Three
Shunga Series Title: Shiki no sugatami (Viewing Forms in the Four Seasons)
 
An elegant and visually engaging pair of original Edo-period shunga volumes by Utagawa Kunisada, created during the artist’s mature Tenpō-era period.
 
Issued as part of the series Shiki no sugatami (Viewing Forms in the Four Seasons), these richly illustrated books present a flowing sequence of intimate encounters set across refined domestic interiors and seasonal settings, rendered with Kunisada’s characteristic elegance and theatrical sensibility.
 
Details:
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Date: c.1842 (Tenpō era)
Series: Shiki no sugatami (Viewing Forms in the Four Seasons)
Format: Woodblock-printed shunga picture books (e-hon) — 2 volumes of an original 3-volume set
Size of each book (closed): approx. 22 cm x 15.5 cm
Pages: Multiple double-page illustrated spreads with accompanying kanji text pages throughout. (All images shown above).  Original covers.

Condition: Consistent with age. Backed areas, and general handling wear, soiling throughout. Interior impressions and colors remain attractive overall considering age. Structurally intact. Please see and judge from the photos provided.
 
An authentic and increasingly difficult-to-find pair of early Kunisada shunga volumes, offering strong visual appeal, fine Edo-period craftsmanship, and the unmistakable atmosphere of original 19th-century Japanese erotic art publishing.
 
Even incomplete examples from refined Kunisada shunga series such as this have become notably scarcer on the market in recent years, particularly when retaining their original covers, bindings, and substantial illustrated content.