"Sumo Wrestlers of the Edo Era: Nishiki-E Woodblock Prints from the Kokichi Otani Collection" Exhibition

New Otani Art Museum

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Artists

Shunkou Katsukawa, Shunnei Katsukawa, Kunisada Utagawa, Kuniteru Utagawa et al.

The origins of the Japanese national sport, Sumo wrestling can be traced back to ancient myths. It was during the Edo Period that Sumo wrestling was established as the competitive sport that we are familiar with today. At that time, this sport in which heroic "rikishi" or wrestlers competed to be the strongest fascinated many people and had become one of the most popular amusements alongside Kabuki. Buoyed by this popularity, Ukiyo-e (Edo Period color prints) of the valiant rikishi's were published one after the other. The tension surrounding the rikishi during the entrance processional and the dynamic portrayals of the fights are overwhelmingly powerful even today.

This exhibition will introduce approximately 60 works from the Kokichi Otani collection, including works by Shunsho Katsukawa, known to be the father of Sumo "Nishiki-E,"up to works from the Meiji Period.

[Image: Kunisada Utagawa "Yokozuna Shiranui Dakuemon Dohyo Entrance" Edo Period]

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