Sugimura Jihei 杉村治兵衛 (fl. c. 1681-1703)
Couple Embracing
Japan, Edo period (1615-1868), c. 1685
Woodblock print; ink on paper
Gift of James A. Michener, 1991
(24676)

While Jihei often fills his images with a variety of pulsating textures, here he leaves the ground plane untouched. As a result, the couple — a wakashū samurai and his female companion depicted in the act of lovemaking — appears to float through the weightless atmosphere.

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