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A Game of Hand Sumo in the New Yoshiwara

Furuyama Moromasa

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a traditional Japanese scene titled "A Game of Hand Sumo in the New Yoshiwara" by Furuyama Moromasa. The scene shows a group of people, predominantly women, wearing traditional Japanese kimonos, sitting on tatami mats on the floor of a large room. The room has a tiled floor and a low ceiling with exposed beams. There are sliding doors and windows, some of which are open to the outside. The walls are decorated with designs. In the center of the image, two individuals are engaged in a game of hand sumo, with their hands clasped together. The atmosphere appears relaxed and social, with people chatting and engaging in various activities. The color palette includes shades of yellow, red, brown, and black. The image is rendered in a traditional Japanese woodblock print style. The composition includes people in the foreground and background, with a sense of depth created by the receding lines of the floor and ceiling. The overall mood is serene and contemplative. The image features kanji characters written vertically along the edges.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1740
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
599 × 431 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette