$500–$4,000. Common landscapes: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: Maeda Masao's atmospheric mountain and landscape prints have a dedicated following among sosaku-hanga collectors.
Fighting Bulls in Iyo — the traditional bull-sumo competition of Iyo Province (present-day Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku), in which bulls push against each other in contests of strength before appreciative crowds — is one of Maeda Masao's most unusual genre subjects. The tradition of bull-sumo in the agricultural communities of western Japan gave him a subject of raw physical energy quite unlike his landscape and literary illustration work, and his bold sosaku-hanga line work was well-suited to capturing the muscular drama of the competing animals.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Fighting Bulls in Iyo was created by Maeda Masao (前田政雄).
Fighting Bulls in Iyo depicts sumo, daily life, and animals.
