UTAGAWA KUNISADA III (1848-1920), multi-coloured woodblock print. Japan, 'Sogoruko-game'.
Depicting a 'Sogoroku game', a board game, with sumo wrestlers and judges depicted in traditional clothing. Measurement attached sheet 71x72,5 cm. Measurement with passepartout 78x77 cm.
Wear to edges, discoloration. Soft handling creases. Colors possibly slightly faded. Restorations.
Provenance
From the Collection of Göran Flyxe.
Exhibitions
Exhibited at the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, Haifa, Spring 1997, Östasiatiska Museet, Stockholm 24/12 1993-14/3 1994.
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.