Description
Keyamura Rokusuke (毛谷村六助), the farmer turned samurai with the name Kida Magobei (貴田孫兵衛), is known in the Japanese tradition for his filial piety and his incredible strength. He became a retainer of the daimyo Kato Kiyomasa (加藤清正) after distinguishing himself in an exceptional series of 36 sumo matches. He won 35 times, to be finally defeated, during the thirty-sixth match, by the warrior Kimura Matazo (木村又蔵), the left wrestler depicted at the center of the work. Even the regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉), visible in the background of the right panel, attended the event.
The precious triptych of woodblock prints was made in March 1884 by the artist Utagawa Toyonobu (歌川豊宣) and is entitled “Representation of the Thirty-sixth Sumo Matches in the Presence of the Regent Hideyoshi” (関白秀吉公於御前三十六番角觝之図).
The prints on Japanese washi paper (和紙), produced by the publisher Morimoto Junzaburo (森本順三郎), are in good condition, thanks also to an effective relining carried out on the back.
