Priest Having Sex With a Boy Prostitute (Kagema - 蔭間)

Shigenobu, Yanagawa. Priest Having Sex With a Boy Prostitute (Kagema - 蔭間) (From Ama No Ukibashi - 'The Floating Bridge of Heaven'). ca. 1830s. Set of three woodblock printed books; ink and color on paper. 25 cm. × 18 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/78782, accessed 13, March 2022.

This print is a part of a book that shows a series of erotic paintings. This print is of a chief priest, signified by his shaved head, engaging in sexual intercourse with a wakashu. In the print, the wakashu is shown to be dressed as a woman wearing a kimono with longer sleeves, typical of unmarried women, and having a hairstyle similar to courtesans. This print clearly shows how the wakashu were in a more passive role with their male patrons, pleasing them by taking on the role and appearance of a woman. In the background, there is a screen with landscape paintings on them covered by the couples’ clothes that they hung on top. Beside the couple is a pillow that has fallen off the bed, showing their passionate encounter.