Limited Edition Release: Utagawa Yoshikazu — Sumo Wrestlers

Wood Print Edition with Limitedd

Limitedd Edition proudly presents a powerful new limited art release: Sumo Wrestlers (1852) by Utagawa Yoshikazu, one of the most dynamic chroniclers of late Edo-period popular culture. Bold, physical, and theatrical, this work captures sumo not merely as a sport, but as a spectacle deeply woven into Japanese social life.

Strength, Ritual, and Spectacle

Created in 1852, Sumo Wrestlers reflects the height of sumo’s popularity during the Edo period. Yoshikazu depicts the wrestlers with exaggerated physicality and dramatic presence, emphasizing mass, posture, and tension. The figures feel monumental—rooted in ritual, competition, and public performance.

As a member of the prolific Utagawa school, Yoshikazu was known for his vivid compositions and narrative clarity. Here, the wrestlers are not anonymous athletes but commanding presences, embodying discipline, strength, and cultural identity.

The original print is preserved in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, underscoring the artwork’s historical and international significance.

Monumentality on Wood

This Limitedd edition translates Yoshikazu’s energetic composition onto FSC-certified birch wood, a material that enhances the physical weight and tactility of the image. At a large scale of 60 × 90 cm, the work gains a near-architectural presence, echoing the wrestlers’ imposing forms.

The natural wood grain subtly interacts with the printed surface, while unprinted white areas allow the birch to remain visible—introducing warmth, texture, and variation. Each piece is therefore slightly unique, reinforcing the handcrafted spirit inherent in traditional ukiyo-e.

Edition Details

• Title: Sumo Wrestlers

• Artist: Utagawa Yoshikazu

• Year: 1852

• Edition Size: 25

• Format: Wood print

• Dimensions: 60 × 90 cm / 24 × 36″

• Material: FSC-certified birch wood

• Thickness: 20 mm (0.79″)

• Finish: Matte surface, clean edges, edge-to-edge print

• Printing: Wood grain visible in unprinted areas

• Hanging Kit: Included (varies by country)

Edo-Era Power, Contemporary Presence

Limited to just 25 editions, Sumo Wrestlers is both a historical image and a commanding contemporary object. The combination of scale, material, and subject matter makes this edition ideal for collectors drawn to works that radiate physical energy and cultural depth.

More than a reproduction, this release transforms an Edo-period vision of strength and ritual into a tactile artwork—where tradition, craftsmanship, and modern presentation converge.

Available exclusively through Limitedd Edition.