Shunga: a sexually charged and richly debated history

The Floating World culture of Edo-period Japan (1603-1868), an era in which the growth of cities such as Edo (now Tokyo) was met with increased promiscuity of the vibrant merchant class, is well known for its high production of shunga, or erotic art.

Shunga is the hot topic of debate this week, as London's School of Oriental Studies (SOAS) and the British Museum present a free two-day workshop entitled Shunga – erotic art in a comparative context, as part of the SOAS Japan Research Centre's ongoing study (20-21 May).

Exploring the richly contested history of shunga and its place in scholarly attention, speakers from Britain, Japan, America and Denmark will tackle diverse issues such as shunga's political subtext, illustrated comic fiction, the publishing of shunga books, audiences and erotic art in Late Imperial China and Early India. The workshop plays a significant role in the broader preparation for the British Museum's hugely anticipated exhibition, Shunga: Sex and Humour in Japanese Art, 1600-1900 in 2013.

Shunga, which translates as 'picture of spring', was commonly an expression of an idealised, eroticised interpretation of contemporary life, full of sexual possibilities and fleeting pleasures. Once reserved for the court and upper classes, the emergence of the daimyō (feudal lords) and chōnin (merchant class) from the 17th century dramatically altered the urban landscape and culture of cities like Edo, and with it the exponential proliferation of shunga by ukiyo-e artists. The increase of woodblock-printing techniques facilitated its inexpensive production and high circulation throughout the urban classes and military aristocracy of this new society.

Shunga challenges ancient traditions and typically reflects the values and passions of everyday life in the new urban city. It depicts the ordinary people, always fully clothed, unlike the Western norms of erotica that is characterised by nudity. Scenes are often exaggerated, vibrant and opulent, yet simultaneously elegant and curious, and explore the full spectrum of sexual possibilities, which gave shunga such a large audience and popularity at the time.

With a view to better understanding the extent and quality of shunga production, and the nature of its consumption, the workshop aims to illustrate that 'Shunga was an integral, if private, part of Japanese society until the early 20th century, after which it was demonized by the authorities to become a taboo subject in Japanese academic, popular and art historical circles, and so it has been excluded from the Japanese cultural heritage,' notes Professor Andrew Gerstle of SOAS.

Shunga's dual histories - its huge popularity in the uninhibited cultural context of Edo-period Japan and its stigmatisation as pornography and a form of sinful expression - has led to its endurance as an art form that is so intriguing to contemporary audiences. The history of erotic imagery in Japan and the social and political culture in which it flourished, is key to understanding the process of modernisation of Japanese society and culture.

For those who cannot make the workshop, Phaidon’s Poem of the Pillow and Other Stories is the indispensable and beautifully illustrated guide to Japanese erotic art of the ukiyo-e period. Surveying the work of famous figures such as Utamaro, Hokusai, Harunobu, Kunisada and Kuniyoshi, the book fully explores the rich aesthetic, historical and social questions surrounding the art of shunga.

Jennifer Bayne