⚔️ Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) – Fatal Blow, Fatal Phallus – c.1826
Series: Kaidan Yoru no Tono (怪談夜の殿) — Tales of Pussy in the Palace at Night
Date: Bunsei 9 (1826)
Author: Utei Enba II (1792–1862)
Medium: Original Edo-period color woodblock print picture, shunga (Spring Picture)
 
Scene Summary:
This dramatic single panel (one of two, as it is part of a diptych - see last image) depicts the notorious lecherous monk in a predatory encounter after the infamous rape scene, rendered with exaggerated physical features typical of Edo-period moral satire and erotic storytelling.  The young woman recoils in visible distress as the monk looms over her, his grotesque expression and distorted proportions heightening the sense of menace.  Kunisada intensifies the psychological tension through close framing and stark facial contrasts, transforming the scene into a charged study of power, corruption, and vulnerability within popular Edo fiction.
 
On the Monk Figure:
The monk portrayed here was not merely a fictional invention, but a notorious figure whose reputation circulated widely in Edo-period lore.  Contemporary accounts and later retellings describe him as sexually predatory, with stories claiming he took particular pleasure in overpowering young women and even sought out virgins specifically to witness their pain and distress (it was said nothing made him happier than to see virgins cry in pain.  Chivalry -1).  While ukiyo-e artists often amplified physical attributes for dramatic effect—especially in erotic works—the legend surrounding his unusually large anatomy was already part of his notoriety.  In popular prints and illustrated fiction, he becomes a grotesque embodiment of excess and corruption: a man whose religious status stood in stark contrast to his depravity.
 
Condition:
Nice impressions with rich color retention.  Overall fair+/decent condition with handling wear, soiling, wormage.  No backing.
 
Size:
Approx. 15.4 × 22 cm 
 
References:
Teihon Ukiyo-e Shunga Meihin Shusei, Vol.10, Yoshikazu Hayashi
Japanese Erotic Art: The Hidden World of Shunga, Ofer Shagan, 2013
A Harlot’s Account of Vernal Love (Shunjo Gidan Mizuagechō), D.M. Richardson, 1994