Daimon Kinoshita - 若花田/貴花田兄弟図 (Wakanohana & Takanohana Brothers)

A fabulous woodblock print by Daimon Kinoshita: 若花田/貴花田兄弟図 (Wakanohana & Takanohana Brothers). The portrait shows the legendary Yokozuna brothers - Wakanohana Masaru (花田虎上) in a yellow yukata and Takanohana Kōji (貴乃花光司) in a boldly patterned robe. Set against a deep blue ground, the scene captures heirs to the celebrated Hanada dynasty of sumo. As sons of Futabayama Sadaji (双葉山定次, 1912-1968), they trained within their father’s renowned stable, later dominating the dohyo in the 1990s with their sibling rivalry and battles alongside Yokozuna Akebono Tarō (曙太郎, b. 1969). 🎌👑

• 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: As torchbearers of the Hanada family legacy, the brothers became central figures of their stable, embodying both tradition and a new era for sumo. Daimon Kinoshita comments on his website (www.daimon-e.sakura.ne.jp):「若花田/貴花田　WAKAHANADA・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]