Sumô Wrestler Prints

Sumô is a Japanese style of wrestling and Japan's national sport. It originated in ancient times as a performance to entertain the Shinto gods. Many rituals with religious background are still followed today. The basic rules of sumô are simple: The wrestler who first touches the floor with something else than the soles of his feet or leaves the ring, loses. The bouts usually last only a few seconds and in rare cases up to one minute or longer.

	Wrestler: Rokusake Takahashi Iwanosuke Date: 1853 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Wrestler: Inagawa Masanosuke Date: 1845-1846 Publisher: Maruya Seijirô (Marusei)
	Wrestler: Koyanagi Tsunekichi Date: Publisher: Maruya Seijirô (Marusei)
	Wrestler: Nioarashi Isogoro in professional attire (Marugame Genkai aratame Nioarashi Isogoro) Date: 1845 Publisher: Nishimura Yohachi
	Wrestler: Oniwaka Rikinosuke Date: Publisher: NOTE: Oniwaka Rikinosuke was an extremely large child who participated in the ring entering ceremony (dohyo-iri) in the early 1850s.
	Wrestler: Oniwaka Rikinosuke in sumô attire Date: Publisher:
	Wrestler: Oniwaka Rikinosuke in street attire Date: Publisher: Enami
Wrestler: Oniwaka Rikinosuke at age eight with his giant hand print Date: c. 1850 Publisher: Matsu-ya
	Wrestler: sumô wrestler in street attire Date: Publisher: NOTE: This ôban print may be part of a polyptych
	Wrestler: Nioarashi Isogoro street attire (Marugame Genkai aratame Nioarashi Isogoro) Date: Publisher: Nishimura Yohachi
Actors: Actor Ichimura Uzaemon XII as sumô wrestler Akitsushima Kuniemon (left) and actor Arashi Kichisaburô III as sumô wrestler Onigadake Dôemon (right) in the kabuki play ‘Sekitori Nidai no Shobuzuke’. Date: 1850 Publisher:
	Title: Ikezuki Geitazaemon, the big wrestler Note: Ikezuki Geitazaemon was not a skilled sumô wrestler, but was a giant who was brought to Edo about 1844 as a special attraction to perform conduct a ring entering ceremony (dohyo-iri).
	Wrestler: Ikezuki Geitazaemon in street attire Date: 1844 Publisher:
	Wrestler: Ôzora Buzaemon Date: Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei
Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô
Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke NOTE: The wrestlers lined up in the right and left sided prints have individualized facial features, and there names are printed above their heads.
This is a later edition of the above print. The publishers seal (center of left edge) was removed, as was Kuniyoshi’s signature from the right and left sided panels. Instead of having the name of each wrestler in a separate box above his head, the right and left sided panels now contain large yellow boxes with the names of all the competing wrestlers. The colors are generally harsher, and the coloration of the sky has been simplified.

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