Illustrated scroll on paper, entitled on manuscript paper label on outside “Tansai Toba-e giga hōhi emaki” 淡彩鳥羽絵戯画放屁絵巻 (“Toba-e Style, in Delicate Colors, Caricatures of Farting, Picture Scroll”)

Ten vividly rendered scenes. Scroll (265 x 6150 mm.), gold-flecked inner front endpaper, outside covered with a fine silk floral-patterned brocade fabric. [Japan]: mid-Edo.


Flatulence humor has a long history in Japan: he-gassen 屁合戦 (“fart competitions”) or hōhi-gassen 放屁合戦 (“fart fights”) have been depicted in the country’s art since the Heian era (794-1185). Our scroll contains ten explicit scenes:


1. Before the competition, naked men drink cold water to induce flatulence.


2. The competition begins with naked, rather well-endowed men frolicking, farting with such force that a heavy game table is knocked (truncated) over.


3. One man is farting on another, who is defending himself with a fan.


4. Three men are farting with serious intent.


5. Seven men are farting at each other, one of whom is defending himself with a makeshift shield. Another is retching. One competitor has gathered his gas in a bag and is carrying it to the action. Another man is enjoying the power of a competitor’s wind as he is being blown into the air.


6. One man is farting, and his opponent is ducking away from the wind.


7. A man is farting and has knocked down his opponent by the wind’s force.


8. Six men are competing with uncertain results.


9. One man is defending himself with a fan, and an onlooker is entertained by the activities.


10. The final scene depicts five men at the conclusion of the competition, sitting peacefully, sipping a liquid porridge, and eating raw chestnuts.


At the end, we find text stating this was created in the mid-Edo period and was the property of the Fukuda family of Awa province (today’s Tokushima Prefecture). Beforehand, it had been owned by Inokuma Nobuo, shrine master of Shirotori jinja in Shashu province (today’s Kagawa Prefecture). With one seal of the Fukuda family and another that we cannot identify.


In fine condition, carefully rebacked, with some mending. (Inventory #: 10939)