Kawanabe Kyosai 河鍋 暁斎: Viewing Children's Sumo Wrestling

Artist: Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋 暁斎
Title: The Shogun Viewing Children's Sumo Wrestling 東海道　浪花　天保山　子供角力照覧

Tempozan in Osaka: Viewing Children’s Sumo (Naniwa Tenpozan kodomo sumo shoran). A high-ranking official (the shogun himself?) sits at the top of this design, his bannermen seated in a perfect phalanx around him. In the sumo ring there is a bout in progress between young trainees, officiated also by a youth serving as judge. Around the ring we see a lively scene that includes elders teaching the youngsters as well as scenes of boys being raucous and rowdy. A very young one is seen crying, and others are being instructed in the various aspects of sumo-dom. Two older men are tying the traditional mawashi loincloth onto a beefy adolescent contestant, who stands proudly.

Series: Scenes of Famous Places along the Tokaido Road (also known as the Processional Tokaido) Tokaido meisho fukei

Date: 1863
Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. 
Dimensions:  34.8 x 23.5 cm
Publisher: Daikokuya Kinnosuke (Kinjiro)
Signature: Shumaro
Literature: Marks, "When the Shogun...," Andon 81 (2007), #68 (152); Kubo Tsunehiko and Sons Collection Ukiyo-e Hanga (2004), #18-153; Oikawa, Clark & Forrer, Comic Genius: Kawanabe Kyôsai/Kyôsai giga kyôga ten (1996), #168

SKU: KSC033S