Scroll with twelve erotic scenes

Hishikawa School · Early 18th century

Medium

Handscroll; ink and colors on paper

Currently held

Art Institute of Chicago

Movement

Baroque

This intimate handscroll from the Hishikawa School is a refined example of shunga — the tradition of erotic art that flourished openly in Edo-period Japan as a respected genre practiced by nearly every major ukiyo-e master. The Hishikawa School, founded by Moronobu in the late seventeenth century, established the visual language of ukiyo-e: bold, confident outlines, flattened perspective, and richly decorative colour applied in clear, luminous layers. This scroll reflects that lineage in its precise brushwork and the careful attention given to textile patterns and interior settings — elements treated with as much craft as the figures themselves. Shunga of this period was not considered marginal; it was collected by all social classes, gifted at weddings, and carried by samurai as talismans. Shunga scrolls were frequently produced anonymously or under school attributions rather than individual names, a common convention that protected artists while allowing the tradition to thrive across generations. Our hand-painted oil reproduction translates the scroll's delicate ink and colour palette into a medium built for permanence, preserving the graceful line quality and layered tones that define the original while giving the work a warmth and depth suited to display.