{"product_id":"yokohama-sumo-wrestler-defeating-a-foreigner-ipposai-yoshifuji","title":"Yokohama Sumo Wrestler Defeating a Foreigner - Ippōsai Yoshifuji","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 1861 woodblock print by Ippōsai Yoshifuji depicting a sumo wrestler in a symbolic confrontation with a Westerner, characteristic of the Yokohama-e genre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis woodblock print by Ippōsai Yoshifuji, produced in 1861, belongs to the genre known as Yokohama-e. These prints emerged following the opening of the port of Yokohama to international trade in 1859. They document the arrival of foreigners and the curiosity of the Japanese public regarding Western customs, clothing, and technology.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition depicts a sumo wrestler engaged in a physical confrontation with a Western figure. The wrestler is rendered in a traditional style, with exaggerated musculature and dynamic posture, while the Westerner is shown in a state of defeat, being thrown through the air. The surrounding figures, dressed in mid-nineteenth-century European attire, react with alarm and confusion. This imagery reflects the social tensions and the sense of national pride during the Bakumatsu period, as Japan navigated its sudden exposure to global powers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTechnically, the print displays the characteristic flat planes of colour and bold outlines common to the Ukiyo-e tradition. The palette is balanced, using muted tones for the background to draw attention to the central action. The inclusion of Japanese text in the upper section provides context for the scene, framing the encounter as a symbolic victory. Yoshifuji, a student of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, utilised his training to create works that were both informative and sensationalist. This piece serves as a historical record of the cultural friction experienced in Japan during the mid-nineteenth century, capturing a moment where traditional Japanese identity met the encroaching influence of the West. The print is a clear example of how popular art forms were used to process and interpret the rapid changes occurring within Japanese society at the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/ladies-surrounding-a-cart-utamaro-ii\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eLadies Surrounding a Cart - Utamaro II — Utamaro II\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/a-party-of-merrymakers-in-a-house-in-the-yoshiwara-on-a-moonlight-night-kitagawa-utamaro\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eA Party of Merrymakers in a House in the Yoshiwara on a Moonlight Night - Kitagawa Utamaro — Kitagawa Utamaro\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ippōsai Yoshifuji","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":59081712861519,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":59081713549647,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":59081713582415,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59081713615183,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59081713647951,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59081713680719,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59081713713487,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59081713746255,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59081713779023,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":59081713811791,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":59081713844559,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":59081713877327,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Yokohama-Sumo-Wrestler-Defeating-a-Foreigner_Poster_CompositorV1_1791618533669.jpg?v=1791618633","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.com\/products\/yokohama-sumo-wrestler-defeating-a-foreigner-ipposai-yoshifuji","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}