Weighing the Goods of Love (Enshoku shinasadame) 艶色品定女
A Fraudulent Murasaki’s Rustic Genji was a best seller of its day and engendered a boom in the popularity of woodblock prints on the subject. Less well known is that Rustic Genji also triggered a flood of erotic illustrated books (shunpon).
Shown here is one of the most outrageous erotic versions of The Tale of Genji by Utagawa Kunisada’s pupil Utagawa Kunimori, with text by author and print artist Miyagi Gengyo (1817–1880), who signs himself Inraku Sanjin 婬楽山人, “Gentleman of Bawdy Pleasures.” The punning title refers to the “judgments on women” (shina sadame) episode in Chapter 2, “Broom Cypress,” of the original Genji. The phrase enshoku suggests that not only are their personal virtues being judged but so too are their sensual qualities.
Shown here is one of the most outrageous erotic versions of The Tale of Genji by Utagawa Kunisada’s pupil Utagawa Kunimori, with text by author and print artist Miyagi Gengyo (1817–1880), who signs himself Inraku Sanjin 婬楽山人, “Gentleman of Bawdy Pleasures.” The punning title refers to the “judgments on women” (shina sadame) episode in Chapter 2, “Broom Cypress,” of the original Genji. The phrase enshoku suggests that not only are their personal virtues being judged but so too are their sensual qualities.
Artwork Details
- Title: Weighing the Goods of Love (Enshoku shinasadame) 艶色品定女
- Artist: Utagawa Kunimori II 二代歌川国盛画 (Japanese, active 1830–1861)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: ca. 1852
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Set of three woodblock-printed books (hanshibon); ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: each: 10 1/16 × 7 5/16 in. (25.5 × 18.5 cm)
- Classification: Illustrated Books
- Credit Line: Purchase, Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gift, 2013
- Object Number: 2013.758a–c
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Utagawa Hiroshige
1857
Katsushika Hokusai
ca. 1830–32
Chōbunsai Eishi
early 19th century
Sakai Ōho
ca. 1839
Sakai Hōitsu
1817
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.