Sumo Wrestlers of the Eastern Group: (right) Nijigadake Somaemon of Sekiwake Rank from Awa Province, and (left) Fudenoumi Kin'emon of Maegashira Rank from Kokura
c. 1782/83
Medium
Color woodblock print; oban
Dimensions
38.2 × 26 cm (15 1/16 × 10 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
64444
Art Historical Context
This vibrant woodblock print by Katsukawa Shunshō, a leading figure of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the floating world") tradition, captures two formidable sumo wrestlers from the Group during a tournament around 1782–83. On the right stands Nijigadake Somaemon, a sekiwake (second-highest rank) from Awa Province, facing Fudenoumi Kin'emon, a maegashira (mid-tier rank) from Kokura. Created in the popular oban format—measuring about 38 × 26 cm—these color prints were affordable and widely circulated in Edo-period Japan (1603–1868), turning wrestlers into celebrity icons akin to modern athletes. Su...