Daimon Kinoshita - 曙／貴ノ花 (Akebono / Takanohana)

A rare fabulous piece by Daimon Kinoshita: 曙／貴ノ花 (Akebono / Takanohana). This dynamic portrait captures two icons of Heisei-era sumo - Akebono Tarō (曙太郎, b. 1969), the first foreign-born Yokozuna from Hawai‘i, and Takanohana Kōji (貴ノ花光司, b. 1972), the charismatic Yokozuna of the Hanada family. Facing each other in close-up, their expressions lock in a powerful stare-down, the patterned yukata robes amplifying the tension. A classic image of rivalry, respect, and the golden age of 1990s sumo. 💥🏯

• Year & Edition: 1994 · Published by 京都版画院 (Kyoto Hanga-In). Carved by 木島重男 (Kishima Shigeo). Printed by 伊藤達也 (Ito Tatsuya). Margins bear the edition seal “Daimon” alongside publisher and copyright inscriptions.
  
• Medium: Woodblock.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 27.00 cm × W: 41.00 cm.
• Condition: Wonderfully stored; strong, beautiful colours, paper crisp & intact.
• Notes: Akebono, promoted to Yokozuna in 1993, was famed for his towering 203 cm frame and fierce tachiai charges, while Takanohana, promoted in 1994, embodied skill, technique, and the prestige of his legendary family line. Their rivalry drew massive public attention, shaping the popularity of sumo during the 1990s boom. Daimon Kinoshita comments on his website (www.daimon-e.sakura.ne.jp): 「曙と貴乃花が競って伸びてきた時の作品。真横からのにらみ合い図は江戸時代の錦絵にもあまり見られない構図です。」(This work depicts the time when Akebono and Takanohana were rising in rivalry. The face-off in strict profile is a composition rarely seen even in Edo-period nishiki-e.).

About the Artist

Born in Hokkaidō in 1946, Daimon Kinoshita is Japan’s foremost contemporary artist of sumo nishiki-e (錦絵). Since 1985 he has worked closely with the Japan Sumo Association, using authentic Edo-period ukiyo-e techniques and the traditional hanmoto system of artist, carver, and printer. His woodblock prints bring Yokozuna, Ōzeki, and rikishi to life in bold ceremonial portraits, often depicting the dohyō-iri (土俵入り) ring-entrance with mica (kirazuri) details that echo Edo traditions. Sold at the Kokugikan arena and presented to visiting dignitaries, Kinoshita’s works combine beauty, craft, and cultural significance, keeping the art of nishiki-e alive in the modern age. [ ← View All Works by Daimon Kinoshita]