Unidentified Artist, woodblock print. Japan, presumably early 19th century.
A black and white woodblock print (from a book) depicting a place for a sumo tournament gathering at a Shinto sanctuary. Measurements 31,5x20 cm. Measurement with passepartout 55x90 cm. Not framed.
Wear to edges, hole, and dis-coloration. Soft handling creases. Colors possibly slightly faded.
Provenance
From the Collection of Göran Flyxe.
Exhibitions
Exhibited at the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, Haifa, Spring 1997, Röhsska Museet, Göteborg 9/12-23/1 1978, Galleri Asthley, Skinnskatteberg 5/6-18/7 1993.
More information
Japanese Sumo Wrestling is one of the oldest martial arts in Japan. Sumo wrestlers were a favorite subject on Japanese woodblock prints.
Sumo has its roots in the shinto religion. The matches were dedicated to the gods in prayers for a good harvest. The oldest written records date back to the 8th century. But it is probably more than 1500 years old.
Sumo prints from the 18th and 19th century prove the popularity of the sport in the past.