Daimon Kinoshita - 貴花田立ち姿 (Takanohana Ring Stance)

A fabulous woodblock print by Daimon Kinoshita: 貴花田立ち姿 (Takanohana Ring Stance). The 65th Yokozuna, Takanohana Kōji (貴乃花光司, b. 1972), is depicted in a commanding ring stance, performing the shiomaki (塩まき, salt-throwing) ceremony before a bout. His powerful frame dominates the straw-covered dohyo, with salt basket at his side, the white grains scattering against a darkened backdrop. The print captures both ritual solemnity and athletic presence, situating Takanohana within the lineage of Edo-style nishiki-e portraits revived in the modern era. 🧂💪

• Year & Edition: 1985 onward · 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). Margin inscriptions include “不許按製” (rights), 財団法人 日本相撲協会 (Japan Sumo Association), and copyright seals, with Kinoshita’s “Daimon” and edition seals below.
  
• Medium: Woodblock.
  
• Dimensions: Sheet W: 27.00 cm × H: 41.00 cm.
  
• Condition: Wonderfully stored; strong, beautiful colours, paper crisp & intact.
  
• Notes: Takanohana, first known as Takahanada (貴花田), rose rapidly through the ranks, achieving Yokozuna in 1994. Together with his elder brother Wakanohana Masaru (花田虎上), they became the first siblings to both hold the Yokozuna title - cementing the prestige of the Hanada dynasty. His fierce rivalry with Akebono Tarō (曙太郎, b. 1969) marked one of the great rivalries of modern sumo. Daimon Kinoshita comments on his website (www.daimon-e.sakura.ne.jp):「貴花田　TAKAHANADA。」

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]