Yoshitoshi 芳年: Sumo Wrestler Umegatani Totaro

Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 芳年 (1839-1892)

Title: Sumo Wrestler Umegatani Totaro  Series: Kinsei jinbutsu shi (Personalities of Recent Times)  Date: 1887

Portrait of the famous sumo wrestler Umegatani Totaro performing the Dohyo Iri, The Ring Entering ceremony, which purifies the ring prior to a match. Umegatani I was the 15th man to reach the sport’s highest rank of yokozuna in 1884. His gaze fixes the viewer as his right arm and fingers point straight out while his left arm gestures in.  He wears the purple ceremonial apron and white Shinto-style roped belt, which indicates his yokozuna status, the highest rank in the sport, which is rarely awarded. Behind him are two teammates from his dojo, also wearing aprons with interlocking white octagon designs. The colleague on the left hold a ceremonial weapon, his hand covered with a purple cloth in respect. Prints from this series were issued individually as supplements (furoku) to certain issues of the Yamato Newspaper and were distributed to subscribers. The printing quality of this series is much superior to other news nishiki-e prints.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition. Large, untrimmed margins. A few light creases and very minor hinging remnants, top verso.

Dimensions: ôban (37 x 25 cm)
Publisher: Yamato Shimbunsha
Literature: Keyes series 488.7. Depicted in "Edo Sumo Nishiki", 1986, p.100.

Signature: Yoshitoshi

SKU: YOT937