Sumo Wrestling 1800 - 1868

Utagawa Kuniteru's "Sumo Wrestling," created in 19th-century Japan, is a woodblock print, or *ukiyo-e*, a traditional medium of graphic art. The paper is thin and absorbent, allowing for precise registration of multiple color layers, though this print seems to rely on a single color, black, with subtle gradations achieved through careful carving of the block and controlled inking. The linear quality speaks to the labor-intensive process, requiring a skilled artisan to translate the artist's vision into a matrix for reproduction. Consider how the very act of making this print—the repetitive, almost industrial process—mirrors the spectacle of sumo wrestling. Both activities are deeply embedded in the social fabric, and this print would have circulated widely in Japanese society, bringing the world of sumo to a broad audience. The print's strength lies not only in its depiction of wrestlers but also in its embrace of craft as a vital form of cultural expression, blurring the lines between art, commerce, and everyday life.