Depictin the sumo wrestler Shiranui Mitsuemon 11th Yokozuma in traditional clothing. Measurement 23x33 cm. Measurement with passepartout 42x55 cm. Not framed.
Wear to edges, holes, and dis-coloration. Soft handling creases. Colors possibly slightly faded.
From the Collection of Göran Flyxe.
Exhibited at Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, Haifa Spring 1997, Östasiatiska Museet, Stockholm 24/12 1993-14/3 1994.
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.