Nine images of Sumo wrestlers, the celebrity athletes that have dominated the world of Japanese sport since prehistoric times. The basic rules are simple: two wrestlers grapple within a ring. The first to step outside the ring, or to touch the ground with any part of his body other than his feet, loses the match.
Massive weight helps a wrestler to stay upright within the ring, but strength and the talent and training to use it skillfully are essential for defeating an opponent. These images, from the 18th/19th centuries, created in the Ukiyo-e style of Japanese woodcuts for sale to the growing merchant class in Edo (modern Tokyo) depicting aspects including leisure subjects.
An unusual gift for any sportsman, art collector, Asian-art aficionado, sumo fan. Includes a matching gift box and a detailed storycard explaining the history and method of the Japanese woodcut art technique and detail on each image. Produced in collaboration with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
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