About the Artist & Series
Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831–1889) was a prolific and wildly inventive artist of the late Edo to early Meiji era, renowned for his biting satire, mischievous humor, and bold imagination.  Often called the “demon painter,” Kyōsai seamlessly blended classical Japanese aesthetics with caricature, political commentary, and ribald humor.
 
This particular shunga woodblock print series titled The Great Tail (Ō-Shiri Monogatari, c. 1870) is one of Kyōsai’s rare and highly sought-after shunga (erotic art) series.  Unlike the more serene and intimate works of earlier shunga masters, Kyōsai’s approach bursts with energy and comic absurdity.  His figures are exaggerated, animated, and sometimes grotesque—mocking social conventions while celebrating the raw, unrestrained aspects of human desire.
 
This shunga woodblock print series captures Kyōsai’s signature mix of eroticism, wit, and theatrical chaos.  Each image tells a bawdy tale, revealing the artist’s playful rebellion against both artistic and societal norms of his time.  
 
Shunga picture measures 11.5 cm x 17.5 cm.  Good colors and impressions.  Good condition with some wear, soiling, bit of creasing, album backing on reverse.
 
A Chaotic Tangle of Mixed Desires
Kyōsai blurs boundaries in this humorous yet charged composition.  Figures tumble and crawl in every direction—one man clings to another’s back, while another dives headlong in pursuit of pleasure.  A woman stretches forward with a mischievous grin, as they appear to be racing towards a finish line.
 
The robed figure in bright red watches the unfolding debauchery like a bemused master of ceremonies, adding an absurd theatricality to the moment.  The scene is mildly homoerotic hinting at fluid intimacy, where gendered pairings dissolve into one swirling spectacle of lust and laughter.