of sumō. The eighth-century Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), the earliest official history of Japan compiled in 712, states that possession of the land by the gods was determined through a test of strength held on the shores of Izumo next to the Japan Sea between Takemikazuchi-no kami and Takeminakata-no-kami: "Takeminakata came bearing a tremendous boulder on his fingertips, and said: 'Who is come to our land and is talking so furtively? Come, let us test our strength; I will first take your arm.' When [Takemikazuchi] allowed him to take his arm, he changed it into a column of ice, then again changed it into a sword blade. At this point [Takeminakata] was afraid and drew back."
When Takemikazuchi demanded the right to grasp Takeminakata's arm, the record states that it was "like taking hold of a young reed," easily crushed. In fear, Takeminakata tried to flee. When pursued and captured, he cried, "I will yield this Central Land of the Reed Plains in accordance with the commands of the offspring of the heavenly deities." The gods, represented by Takemikazuchi, were victorious. In a bloodless rite, hegemony by the divine race was established, initiating at the same time the divine lineage of the emperor, which traces its origins back to the victorious Takemikazuchi.
Although the contest bore little resemblance to the sumō of today, this mythical combat has been taken as the origins of sumō, defining its divine origin and its historical place within Japan. Thus, from time immemorial, sumō has been considered in Japan a sport and a rite of national importance. Performed at times of harvest, it was seen as a propitiating ritual designed to please the gods and insure a bountiful harvest.
During the Edo period, sumō became a popular exhibition sport, drawing massive crowds and creating a type of celebrity status for its successful athletes. The center of the sumō world had shifted from Osaka to Edo by the late 1700s and had been warmly embraced by the Edo public. The ukiyo-e artist Katsukawa Shunsho (1726-92) elevated these men by making them the focus of a new genre of print, closely mimicking the actor prints from the world of Kabuki. Sumo rankings were frequently posted, allowing the public to keep track of their favorite stars. The traditional ten-day tournaments held in open areas around shrines and temples gradually became more localized at Eko-in Temple across the Sumida River.
The close connection between sumō and certain Shintō rituals inevitably led to the subject matter being portrayed in sculptural form. Images dating from the medieval period of wrestlers locked in combat officiated over by a gyōji priest are found in various shrines across Japan. Clay ningyō crafted in varying degrees of refinement of sumō wrestlers from many regions of Japan attest to a widespread popularity of this subject matter among the common people. The social importance that sumō held during the Edo period made it natural for ningyō artists to explore this subject and a number of finely crafted gosho-ningyō depicting the theme have come down to us today. A famous example in the Kyoto National Museum collection presents a complete tableau featuring two wrestlers accompanied by the officiating gyōji in a circular arena bounded by a shimenawa rope made of silk crepe. The wrestlers themselves are shown doing ritual exercises before the match.
The pair shown here represent two wrestlers pulling on a rope. They are executed in mirrored poses, leaning in towards each other with only slight differences in the position of their hands and the angle of their heads. Their hairstyles differ as well, the figure on the right bearing two long side braids, while the figure on the left has a full head of hair with only the top section shaved in nakasori style. Both sport complementary, though not identical, keishō mawashi (wrestler aprons) that are decorated with embroidered cherry blossoms. The bottom hemline is further decorated with metal appliqués of blossom just above the fringe.
Sumō wrestlers Fudenoumi Kin'emon (left) and Nijigadake Somaemon (right), Katsukawa Shuncho (1726-92), woodblock print, ink and color on paper, ca. 1782-3, 15 x 10 inches.
Frederick W. Gookin Collection,
Art Institute of Chicago
Mitate Gosho-ningyō: Sumō Wrestler
Nomi no Sukune is considered the historical founder of sumō-tori (sumō wrestling). A potter from Izumo who possessed enormous strength, Sukune was invited by the Emperor Suinin (r. 31 BC-AD 70) in 22 BC to fight Taima no Kehaya from Nara. In a fierce combat not limited to grappling and throwing, Sukune defeated Kehaya and proceeded to trample him to death. Suinin, in recognition of his victory invited Sukune to court as an advisor.
Sukune is purported to have played a significant role in ningyō history as well. Historic funerary practices had called for the interment of live individuals along with the deceased, arranged vertically in the ground in a hedge-like row around the tumulus—a horrific, not to mention expensive, practice.
With the death of Suinin's brother, Yamato-hiko-no-mikoto, the Nihongi (compiled in 720) states that "thereupon his personal attendants were assembled and were buried alive upright... for several days they died not, but wailed day and night. At last they died and rotted. Dogs and crows gathered and ate them." Deeply disturbed by this, the Emperor Suinin sought advice from his council on how to rectify this problem, to establish a new method that would still appease the gods, but avoid the needless suffering.
The Nihongi states that it was Nomi no Sukune, the potter from Izumo, who devised a solution. Calling down clay workers from Izumo, Sukune instructed them to "take clay and form therewith shapes of men, horses, and various objects which he presented to the emperor saying, 'Hence forward let it be the law for future ages to substitute things of clay for living men, and to set them up at tumuli.'" The emperor was reportedly delighted with the suggestion and implemented Sukunes plan. These clay figures, called haniwa (lit. "circle of clay"), replaced the human hedgerow (see page 9-10). Within the timeline of ningyō history, they are seen as some of the earliest of ningyō forms, clay human shapes (ningyō) acting as substitutes for actual humans.
The popularity of sumō during the Edo period also led to a large output of sumō-related art. Paintings and woodblock prints of celebrated sumō athletes were sought after by aficionados of the sport. A wide variety of ningyō forms were also created during this time. Though somewhat later in date, a particularly interesting example is a pair of life-sized iki-ningyō (living dolls) made by the celebrated artist Yasumoto Kamehachi. The two combatants are shown in an intense grappling match, muscles flexed, eyes bulging. Created for an exhibition (misemono) in Tokyo in 1890, Kamehachi's creation presents what appears to be more of a life-and-death struggle than a ritualized sporting event. However, it was the gosho-ningyō, with its full-bodied corpulence, that proved to be the most natural medium for the depiction of sumō in ningyō form. Extant examples show a wide variety of treatments for this popular subject. Ningyō artists had a chance to place their figures in some dynamic compositions: wrestlers facing each other in the circular arena and the officiating figure all well depicted. The keishō mawashi aprons were an easy adaptation from the traditional haragake bibs.
The delightful gosho image below is an exceptional example. It shows a well-fed wrestler resting on his knuckles, staring directly into the eyes of his opponent in the moment before they hurl themselves at each other. Though sumō wrestlers traditionally have worn their hair long and tied into a topknot, which is cut only upon retirement, the figure here is depicted with a child's side locks which are particularly bushy. The three-part division of the gosho is easily seen, with equal weight given to head, body, and legs. The modeling here, while in no way realistic, is very sensitive, showing creases in the arms and knees and well-delineated toes, ears, and clenched fists. Perhaps in order to convey an added level of intensity, the eyes are executed in an unusually open oval shape, and the pupils, rather than being flat, are slightly convex. Instead of the classic enigmatic smile, the mouth is in a compressed, tight-lipped expression unusual in gosho-ningyō. The bib is decorated on the front with a large embroidered design of a butterfly. The thick tie cords are knotted across the wrestlers back with the tassels partially covering his exposed
