The Erotic Acrobat – Koikawa Shozan c.1858

A spectacular and surreal original shunga picture by Koikawa Shozan, and part of the same notorious mid-19th-century grotesque shunga series, (Ridiculous Things/Warai no gu oheso ga cha).
 
In this shunga scene, a bold performer balances upside down on an enormous erection, legs spread in a dramatic split as her exposed vulva becomes the centerpiece of a bizarre erotic stage act.  Two male figures — a colorfully dressed, and proud owner of the erection on display, waving his fan in pride, and a grinning bald man — react with theatrical flair, suggesting a lively sex circus or comic acrobatic show.
 
Blending kabuki-style exaggeration with erotic absurdity, this print captures the playful spirit of Tenpō-era underground art, where desire, spectacle, and parody collide.
 
Measures approximately 22.1 cm x 18.1 cm.  Very good colors and impressions.   Condition is decent+/good with some wear, soiling, one wormage hole at bottom.  Album backing.  Please see and judge from the photos provided.