THE POEM OF THE PILLOW [Utamakura]; The Japanese Methods

Fribourg: Liber, 1984. Early Illustrated Anthology. Cloth. Fine/Fine. Colored & B&W. 4to, black cloth over boards, orange endpapers, color illustrations throughout, Mylar-protected unclipped dust jacket with ccolorful Japanese lovers, 79 pages. The "pillow" or makura was a small wooden box with drawers used by women as a pillow in order to suspend their elaborate hairdos. "To pillow" is also a Japanese expression for having sexual intercourse. Early "pillow books" were adapted from Chinese texts and included information on hygiene. Later, they incorporated poems of commandments and included erotic images. The illustrations of sensual pleasure selected for this book have been extracted from examples by masters of Japanese erotic art. Often exaggerated, humorous, and fantastical, these collections of erotic images, exotic positions, and vigorous, unashamed love-making became huge best sellers. (As shunga, the penis (matsuke: lit. "mushroom") and female genitals (bobo kai: the name of a shell) were also often hugely exaggerated in size.) Such examples of "pillowing" were often given to brides on their wedding day as instruction manuals. Executed in intricate detail, these illustrations have become some of the finest depictions of erotica ever made. This anthology features reproductions of woodblock prints, scrolls, and paintings as well as a medley of often amusing shunga. In exceptional condition internally and externally.