Style of Tsukioka Settei 月岡雪鼎の画風 (1710–1786)
Erotic Book
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868), Late 18th century-early 19th century
Woodblock-printed book; ink on paper
Purchase, Richard Lane Collection, 2003
(2008.0513)

A Buddhist priest leads his sangha community in the chanting of sutra prayers, and while most of the followers keep track of how many times they have recited the text by using prayer beads (juzu), one libidinous worshipper has discovered a less conventional but far more pleasurable method of counting.

Although the title and authorship of this text have yet to be determined, the artist’s style is strikingly similar to that of Tsukioka Settei (1710–1786), one of the foremost shunga artists of the 18th century.

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