The Perfumed Garden — A Field Guide (221–240)
The final twenty positions from al-Nafzawi's catalogue, presented as specimen cards — each with its family, posture, effort and who leads. Filter to what fits tonight.
Completing the Catalogue
Part 1 covered positions 183–200 and Part 2 covered 201–220. This final section is the most varied of the three — standing lifts, a seated see-saw, an interlocked arrangement unlike anything else in the manual, three cushion-assisted postures, and a full acrobatic bridge to close.
It also contains three more of al-Nafzawi's numbered Postures — the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth. Those function as anchors, with the descriptively named positions clustering around them as variations. Reading the numbered sequence across all three parts shows the structure of his thinking clearly.
Because this section is so varied, the filters below sort by family rather than setting: kneeling, rear entry, standing, seated, side-lying, cushioned, and the outliers.
On the Names, and on Agreement
Several positions here carry names given in the 15th century for their intensity — they are not descriptions of how anyone should be treated. Every one of them depends on both partners having agreed to that intensity beforehand; the intensity is only enjoyable because the agreement came first. Where a position limits one partner's ability to move or signal — The Jingler (221) in particular — we've flagged it in the field note.
The Specimen Grid
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Rear entry |
| Posture | Over a stool |
| Effort | High |
She leans over a low stool or firm block so only her midsection is supported, hands and feet resting on the floor; he lies over her from behind with legs extended, one hand braced and one at her hips. Because her limbs are supporting her, she has limited scope to move — which makes communication about pace more important here than in most positions, not less.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Kneeling |
| Posture | One leg raised |
| Effort | Medium |
A named posture in al-Nafzawi's numbered sequence: she lies back with one leg lifted and the other extended while he kneels between them, holding the raised leg. The asymmetry opens the angle on one side only. She steers depth by adjusting the raised leg and shifting her torso — a small movement that changes the fit considerably.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Kneeling |
| Posture | Twisted side |
| Effort | Medium |
She lies with one leg extended and her body twisted slightly to one side, the other leg lifted and resting against his chest; he kneels close. The torso twist rotates the pelvis a few degrees, which changes which internal surfaces receive contact — the same principle al-Nafzawi returns to throughout his catalogue.
| Leads | She leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Her on top |
| Posture | She leads |
| Effort | Medium |
He lies back with one leg lifted and one extended; she leans over him with one leg bent and one stretched, one hand on his chest for balance while he supports her thigh. She controls depth, pace and angle entirely, adjusting her position to find the contact she wants. Al-Nafzawi is explicit that his part is to hold steady and let her work.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Kneeling |
| Posture | Legs wrapped |
| Effort | Medium |
She lies on her back and wraps both legs around him as he kneels and leans forward, hands braced beside her. The wrap is what gives the position its stability — it holds the fit without either partner working to maintain it, which is why it sustains longer than most kneeling arrangements.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Standing |
| Posture | Suspended |
| Effort | Very High |
He stands firmly planted while she supports herself on one hand with one leg extended and the other hooked behind his back, holding his hand for grip. Because her weight is largely on his arms and her own hand, this demands real strength, endurance and flexibility from both — al-Nafzawi says as much, and it's a fair warning.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Standing |
| Posture | Against a wall |
| Effort | High |
He lifts her and braces her against a wall; she hooks one leg around his back and holds his neck and shoulders. The wall takes what his arms otherwise would — without it, this is unsustainable. Al-Nafzawi frames it as a position born of urgency, arrived at when neither partner wants to relocate to a bed.
| Leads | Mutual |
|---|---|
| Family | Standing |
| Posture | One leg on wall |
| Effort | Medium |
He leans back against a wall; she stands facing him and places one foot against the wall behind him, using her knee for leverage to move against him while he holds her back. Because she generates the movement using the wall, this lasts far longer than a lifted standing position — the text notes there is little room for conversation, only breath.
| Leads | Mutual |
|---|---|
| Family | Seated |
| Posture | Facing, legs open |
| Effort | Low |
Both sit facing each other with legs open, her legs behind his hips and his bent behind her; he pulls her closer by the shoulders while she braces on his thighs. Movement comes from pulling and releasing rather than thrusting — a rocking see-saw rhythm that neither partner can rush. Genuinely low-effort and sustainable.
| Leads | Mutual |
|---|---|
| Family | Interlocked |
| Posture | Head to foot |
| Effort | Medium |
Both partners lie on their backs facing opposite directions, each lifting one leg so the bodies interlock at the hips while hands are held for grip. Neither can reach the other's face, but the central interlock is unusually snug. Al-Nafzawi catalogues it precisely because nothing else in the manual produces this geometry.
| Leads | Mutual |
|---|---|
| Family | Seated |
| Posture | On his lap |
| Effort | Low |
She sits astride his lap with knees wide; he moves for a while, then she takes over and rides, then they swap again. The alternation is the entire technique — al-Nafzawi builds turn-taking into the position itself, which keeps both partners engaged and neither exhausted. Close enough throughout for conversation and kissing.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Kneeling |
| Posture | Legs folded |
| Effort | High |
The second named posture in this section: she lies back and folds her legs toward her buttocks while he kneels between them, one hand braced and one free. Folding rather than raising the legs produces a distinctly different angle from the raised-leg family, and it demands reasonable flexibility.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Reversed |
| Posture | Opposite facing |
| Effort | High |
She lies on her back with both legs raised toward her head, holding them in position; he positions on all fours facing the opposite direction, knees near her. The reversed orientation is the point — it produces an angle no facing position achieves. Demanding on his arms, and best in intervals.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Rear entry |
| Posture | On all fours |
| Effort | Medium |
The third named posture here, and the classical rear-entry arrangement: she on all fours, he kneeling upright behind, holding her hips. He can lift her hips to maintain height as the session continues, and one hand is free to reach around. The anchor position of the rear-entry family across every manual in this series.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Kneeling |
| Posture | Both upright |
| Effort | Low |
Both kneel upright, he behind her, holding her hips and stomach while she rests her hands on his thighs. Al-Nafzawi names it for the moment of arousal becoming unmistakable through contact alone. The movement is slow and shallow by necessity, and both bodies stay pressed together throughout.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Rear entry |
| Posture | Leaning forward |
| Effort | Medium |
A rear-entry arrangement where he leans forward and lies gently over her back rather than staying upright. The lean is what distinguishes it from the Ninth Posture: it brings his mouth to her neck, ears and shoulders, and turns a straightforwardly physical position into a considerably more affectionate one.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Side-lying |
| Posture | Spooning |
| Effort | Low |
She lies on her side with knees drawn up and hands under her face on a cushion, apparently asleep; he settles behind with legs extended, one bent. The conceit is the position's name — she stays still and he does the moving. As with any waking-based scenario, whether it's welcome is a conversation for daylight, not for 2am.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Cushion-assisted |
| Posture | Half-reclined |
| Effort | High |
Her hips and lower back rest over a firm cushion with shoulders and neck clear of it, legs extended; he stretches over her, braced on the cushion, while she holds his hands. The cushion sets an angle no flat surface achieves. Despite the dramatic name, this is a position that depends entirely on both partners having agreed to its intensity in advance.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Side-lying |
| Posture | Legs closed |
| Effort | Medium |
She lies on her side over a cushion with legs closed and stretched together, one hand on the floor and one on his shoulder; he kneels behind, holding her legs. Closed legs narrow the fit considerably. She is largely stationary here, so pace and pressure are his to manage carefully.
| Leads | He leads |
|---|---|
| Family | Acrobatic |
| Posture | Bridge arch |
| Effort | Very High |
The catalogue closes with its most demanding entry: she balances on hands and feet to form a bridge arch while he kneels between her legs, holding her hips. It requires real flexibility and endurance, and al-Nafzawi concedes most couples will find it impractical. Getting the fit right before any movement is essential — and abandoning it is entirely reasonable.
⭐ Index Table
| № | Specimen | Leads | Family | Field Kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 221 | The Jingler | He leads | Rear entry | Bleu Dotted → |
| 222 | The Seventh Posture | He leads | Kneeling | Love Light Xceptionelle → |
| 223 | The Amorous Frolic | He leads | Kneeling | Bleu Spiral → |
| 224 | The Libidinous One | She leads | Her on top | Love Light Super Thin → |
| 225 | The Seducer | He leads | Kneeling | Bleu Ultra-Thin → |
| 226 | The Arrow Maneuverer | He leads | Standing | Love Light Glow → |
| 227 | The High Sprinkler | He leads | Standing | Love Light Capsules → |
| 228 | Belly on Belly | Mutual | Standing | Bleu Dotted → |
| 229 | Frog Fashion | Mutual | Seated | Love Light Super Thin → |
| 230 | Two Headed Serpent | Mutual | Interlocked | Bleu Spiral → |
| 231 | The Alternative Movement of Piercing | Mutual | Seated | Love Light Xceptionelle → |
| 232 | The Eighth Posture | He leads | Kneeling | Bleu Ultra-Thin → |
| 233 | The Member Reversed | He leads | Reversed | Love Light Glow → |
| 234 | The Ninth Posture | He leads | Rear entry | Love Light Capsules → |
| 235 | The Announcement | He leads | Kneeling | Bleu Dotted → |
| 236 | Delightful Copulation | He leads | Rear entry | Love Light Super Thin → |
| 237 | The Pretender | He leads | Side-lying | Bleu Spiral → |
| 238 | Ravishment | He leads | Cushion-assisted | Love Light Xceptionelle → |
| 239 | The Erotic Repose | He leads | Side-lying | Bleu Ultra-Thin → |
| 240 | The Dome | He leads | Acrobatic | Love Light Glow → |
Field Kit Essentials
Explore More Guides
Perfumed Garden Part 2 · Perfumed Garden Part 1 · Tao Field Guide · Ananga Ranga Part 2 · Kamasutra Part 2 · The Kiss Atlas · How-To Guides · Sexual Health · Sexopedia · All Sex Positions
Closing al-Nafzawi's Catalogue
Fifty-eight positions across three parts, and the thing that lasts isn't the acrobatics — it's the practical notes. Put a cushion under her hips. Lean against the wall. Get the fit right before you move. A fifteenth-century author writing about comfort and mechanics rather than performance turns out to be the part that still reads as useful six hundred years on. Filter the grid, pick two, and leave the rest for another night.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Part 3 differ from Parts 1 and 2?
Part 1 covers positions 183–200 and Part 2 covers 201–220. Part 3 completes al-Nafzawi's catalogue with 221–240, and it's the most varied section — standing lifts, seated see-saws, interlocked arrangements, cushion-assisted postures and a full acrobatic bridge, alongside three more of his numbered Postures.
What are the numbered Postures?
Al-Nafzawi runs a numbered sequence through his catalogue — the First through Fourth appear in Part 1, the Fifth and Sixth in Part 2, and the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth appear here. They function as anchor postures, with the descriptively named positions around them acting as variations.
Which positions here are worth skipping?
The Arrow Maneuverer (226) and The Dome (240) both demand real strength and flexibility, and al-Nafzawi concedes as much for the latter. Filter to Low or Medium effort and you still have thirteen positions that need nothing but a bed and a cushion.
Why does the text keep mentioning cushions and stools?
Because furniture changes geometry at no cost in strength or flexibility. The Jingler, Ravishment and The Erotic Repose all depend on a firm cushion or low stool setting a height that a flat surface can't. It's the most immediately usable advice in the whole manual.
Some of these position names sound aggressive — how should they be read?
As names given in the 15th century for intensity, not as descriptions of how anyone should be treated. Every position in this catalogue depends on both partners having agreed to its intensity beforehand — the intensity is only enjoyable because the agreement came first. Where a position limits one partner's ability to move or signal, we've noted it.
Is delivery from Condombazaar discreet?
Completely. Every order ships in plain, unmarked packaging with sender name CA Gain Healthcare — no product name or brand visible anywhere on the box. Delivering privately across India since 2010.
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