$400–$3,000. Common subjects: $400–$1,000. Key value factors: Kawanishi's Kobe port scenes are his most distinctive and collected subjects.
Bull fighting in Iyo (present-day Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku) is a traditional spectacle in which two bulls are pitted against each other in a pushing match, a practice distinct from Spanish-style bullfighting in that no human combatant faces the animals. This woodblock print documents one of Japan's regional folk customs, depicting the raw physical force of two bulls locked in contest. Kawanishi approaches the subject as both cultural document and visual drama, using the bold line work of sosaku-hanga to convey the muscular tension and lowered heads of the competing animals. Bull sumo, as the practice is sometimes called, survives today in a few locations across rural Japan and carries associations with agricultural strength, local identity, and the preservation of traditions tied to the land.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Fighting Bulls in Iyo was created by Hide Kawanishi (川西英).
Fighting Bulls in Iyo depicts figures, daily life, and animals.
