Galleries may contain explicit images
Eros in Asia: Erotic Art from Iran to Japan
Eros in Asia showcases The Kinsey Institute's extensive collection of erotic artwork from across the Asian continent.
Many pieces arrived at the Institute in the 1940s and 1950s, when Dr. Alfred Kinsey was collecting visual materials from around the world for his study of human sexual behavior. In the years since, the institute has continued to acquire paintings, woodblock prints, illustrated books, sculptures, and objects from Asian countries—each of which has unique artistic traditions and genres for the visual representation of sexuality.
The majority of the artworks were produced in China, with India, Iran, and Japan, Turkey, and Mongolia also represented in the exhibit.
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Unknown artist, Iran
Man and woman in coitus, 1870, Gouache on paper 4.75" x 6.5" -
Unknown artist, Iran
Man performing oral sex on a woman, 1875-1900, Paint on paper 6.5" x 9" -
Unknown artist, Iran
Man engaging in sexual activities with six women date unknown, Paint on paper 12.5" x 7.75" -
Unknown artist, China
Man and woman sitting in a room, c.1750, Gouache on paper 10 1/8" x 7 1/2" -
Unknown artist, China
Woman holding a man’s hair, c.1750, Gouache on paper 10 1/8" x 7 1/2" -
Unknown artist, China
Man and two women in a brothel, 19th century, Paint and ink on paper 9" x 13.5" -
Unknown artist, China
An older man and woman observe a couple in coitus, 20th century, Paint on fabric 9.5" x 8" -
Unknown artist, China
Three women and two men engage in group sex, 20th century, Paint on paper 9.5" x 8.25" -
Unknown artist, China
Group assists couple in coitus 20th century, Paint on silk 10.75" x 8.5" -
Unknown artist, India
Man and woman in coitus as second woman assists date unknown, Ink and watercolor on paper 11.5" x 6.5" -
Unknown artist, India
Illustrations of heterosexual coital positions date unknown, Paint on paper 5.5" x 3.75" -
Unknown artist, India
Man and woman in coitus on a terrace early 20th century, Paint on paper 9" x 6.75" -
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Japan
Couple in coitus, in front of wall sign,from (Ehon) tsui no hinagata (Patterns of Loving Couples) series, c.1812-14, Woodblock print 9.75" x 15" -
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Japan
Couple in coitus with pillow book, from (Ehon) tsui no hinagata (Patterns of Loving Couples) series, c.1812-14 Woodblock print 9.75" x 15" -
Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864), Japan
Illustration from Kumadori Shujin’s Koi no Yatsu Fuji; Nanso Satomi Hakkenden (Legend of eight days), c.1830-1840, Woodblock print 8.25" x 6.25" -
Unknown artist, Japan
Man preparing to engage in sex with a woman, date unknown, Woodblock print 8.75" x 12.75"
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