Antique Edo Japanese illustrated woodblock book, 1833-1835, Tamenaga Shunsui, Utagawa Kuninao, set of 12 volumes

“Shunshoku Tatsumi-zono” — “Spring Colors of the Tatsumi Quarter”.

An illustrated book from the late Edo period, produced using traditional Japanese woodblock printing. The work belongs to the ninjobon genre, a form of popular urban prose of the first half of the nineteenth century focused on human emotions, social relationships, and romantic narratives.

The book is a multi-volume novel printed from carved wooden blocks. Text and images were produced as part of a single publishing project. The volumes contain a substantial number of illustrations, including color woodblock prints, characteristic of well-produced urban publications of the Edo period.

In terms of subject matter, the work is closely connected to the cultural sphere of shunga, sharing an interest in intimacy, physicality, and everyday life within the pleasure quarters. However, it is not a shunga album. Sensual themes are conveyed through narrative development and sequential storytelling rather than through autonomous erotic images, reflecting the literary dimension of the same cultural environment in which shunga existed.

The set consists of 12 individual volumes and is complete. The original series was issued in this format. Loss of individual volumes is common for Edo-period books that circulated in everyday use, which makes complete sets considerably less common.

Author
Tamenaga Shunsui (1790–1844) was a professional writer active in the late Edo period and one of the key figures of the ninjobon genre. His works were published in serialized form and aimed at a broad urban readership, occupying a stable position within the commercial publishing environment of the first half of the nineteenth century.

Illustrator
Utagawa Kuninao was a book illustrator of the Utagawa school, working primarily in the field of illustrated fiction and popular prose. His graphic style was adapted to the requirements of woodblock-printed books and follows the conventions of Edo-period book illustration.

Historical significance
The book represents a characteristic example of Edo-period popular illustrated literature. Such works played an important role in shaping literary taste and visual culture among the urban population of Japan in the first half of the nineteenth century and are valuable sources for the study of publishing and reading practices of the period.

Condition:
Antique condition. The volumes show natural signs of age, including paper toning, surface wear, localized staining, damage to individual pages, and traces of insect activity.

Size of one volume (approx.):
12 × 18 × 0.8 cm.

Safe and tracked shipping from Latvia (Riga Gallery of Japanese Art CloudyYokomido).

For US buyers: this item enters the United States duty-free.