Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 1993-0001-0342   CAS 1993-0001-0342; Animated toy (sumo wrestlers)
Category Folk Toys
Object Name Animated toy (sumo wrestlers)
Culture Japanese
Global Region East Asia
Country Japan
State/Prov./Dist. Kumamoto Prefecture
County
Other Geographic Data City: Hinaku
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1975
Collection Name Kadota Collection (Japanese Folk Toys)
Materials Wood (Paulownia imperialis); Paint
Description Pair of sumo wrestlers, carved from flat pieces of wood; Both figures have movable legs and because their arms are interlocked, they appear to have only one pair of arms between them; Small hole drilled through arms is for insertion of small stick, which is twisted to simulate the various moves made by wrestlers during a match; Figures are unpainted except for painted red and blue loincloths and black facial features; This toy first appeared in the early 19th Century at a festival to commemorate the death of a famous sumo wrestler from the Hinaku area and has been sold at festivals ever since that time.
Dimensions (cm) Height = ca. 19.8, Width = 14.8, Depth = 2.8