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Wrestler

A work made of earthenware.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of earthenware.

Date:

5th–6th century

Artist:

Japan

About this artwork

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.

Status

On View, Gallery 102

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Wrestler

Place

Japan (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

300 CE–522 CE

Medium

Earthenware

Dimensions

63.4 × 38.4 × 22 cm (25 × 15 1/8 × 8 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with Funds Provided by the Weston Foundation; President's Exhibition and Acquisition Fund

Reference Number

2010.297

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/200696/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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