Wrestler

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This wrestler or rikishi is wearing a simple headband and a wrestler’s harness. He stands solidly on two feet, with a hand on his hip and the other raised to show his strength. His chest is particularly barrel-shaped, harking back to the simple tube-shaped haniwa, from which more elaborate forms developed. The right foot is a recent restoration. Other haniwa in the form of wrestlers exist. Though the precise role of wrestling in this period is unclear, it is mentioned in the first written record in Japan, from the eighth century, in relation to shrine rituals or as part of celebrations to honor foreign guests.

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