China

China, probably 19th century, undated. An album of twelve erotic paintings in ink and colour on paper, each mounted on silk and depicting a couple in an amorous scene, either in a domestic interior or in a garden or outdoor setting. Each painting measures 16 x 19.2 cm.

Accordion-fold album, 19 x 25.4 cm, the boards covered in green silk patterned with polychrome crosses over a diamond lattice, the endpapers in figured cream silk. Small losses of fabric along the edges of the boards, two further small losses to the rear board, and one fold of the accordion partly split. The twelve paintings retain a remarkable freshness of colour.

Scroll unrolling horizontally with a title leaf of 3 ideograms (Spring Dream) and 11 colored prints mounted on silk (actually a single print consisting of 11 scenes). When fully unrolled, the ensemble reaches 250cm. The scroll is held closed by a string, the paper is rolled around a piece of wood.
The scroll, made of relatively thick paper is covered with fine silk on the side where the engraving is mounted. The 11 scenes consist of a single long printing on 180 cm, one can perceive by the presence of the lower margin that these 11 scenes were thus printed several times on a large sheet, which were then cut out. This type of printing required a large press. Each scene measures...