Vintage Japanese Shunga Erotic Figurine Couple Faux-Ivery Resin Hand Painted Showa a

Vintage Japanese shunga-style erotic figurine, amorous couple in polychrome-patterned robes, faux ivery resin, mid-Shōwa period

Japan; mid-Shōwa period, c. 1950s–1960s

A compact and frankly charming shunga-style figurine depicting an amorous couple in a moment of mutual enthusiasm. The pair are rendered in cream faux ivory resin with hand-applied polychrome detail — their robes decorated throughout with interlocking mon crests, floral roundels, and geometric textile patterns in dark grey, green, and russet on cream — a decorative vocabulary drawn directly from the Edo-period woodblock print tradition that inspired these pieces. The figures' faces are modeled with care and a certain wry expressiveness; the overall composition is compact, well-balanced, and thoroughly self-explanatory. 

Shunga (春画, literally "spring pictures") is one of the most enduring traditions in Japanese visual culture, produced continuously from the Heian period through the ukiyo-e golden age and into the modern era. Far from being considered obscene in their original context, shunga prints and objects were collected by men and women of all social classes, exchanged as gifts, and believed by many to bring good luck. The mid-Shōwa production of faux ivory shunga figurines — cast in resin and individually hand-colored — represents the popular commercial continuation of this tradition, produced for the domestic curio market and early tourism trade. They are collected today both as examples of Japanese erotic folk art and as mid-century decorative objects.

• Type: Shunga-style erotic figurine, amorous couple
• Material: Faux-ivery resin, hand-applied polychrome detail
• Period: Mid-Shōwa, c. 1950s–1960s
• Dimensions: Approximately 3" (7–8 cm) in largest dimension; see photos for specifics
• Condition: Very good. Please see photos for details.