A rare and authentic Edo Period original, c.1860, Japanese shunga woodblock picture book in virtually mint condition, featuring beautiful deluxe-quality artwork by an artist of the renowned Utagawa School.
 
The book measures 18 × 12 cm when closed and is over 1 cm thick—unusually substantial for this genre. It contains 29 fully colored pages of exceptional shunga imagery, together with striking black-and-white pages depicting homoerotic phallic banners and flags. The remaining pages consist of original Japanese text. Please note that only a selection of the illustrations is shown here, as we are limited to displaying a maximum of fifteen images.
 
The condition is simply outstanding—virtually mint. Please judge for yourself from the accompanying photographs. It is exceedingly rare to encounter an Edo Period shunga book preserved in such remarkable condition.
 
The artwork is equally impressive. The colors remain rich and vibrant, while the impressions are crisp and beautifully preserved. The printing also incorporates several deluxe production techniques, including mica (metallic pigments), gauffrage (blind embossing), and urushi-e (black lacquer), adding depth, texture, and elegance throughout.
 
An exceptional Edo-period shunga book that would grace the library of any discerning collector.