$500–$4,000. Common subjects: $500–$1,500. Key value factors: As an early sosaku-hanga pioneer, Kawakami's prints have historical significance. His distinctive graphic style is collected.
"Baseball Tournament" brings Kawakami's observational style to the sport that Japan adopted from America and made entirely its own — high school baseball tournaments (particularly the Koshien tournament) being among the most emotionally charged events in the Japanese sporting calendar. The scene likely depicts the pageantry of a tournament: the lined field, the uniformed players, the crowd, the intense concentration of sport as ritual. Kawakami's warm, simplified style gives the athletic occasion the same quality of cultural affection he brought to his historical Nagasaki subjects.
Woodblock print
1928
Color lithograph
1930
Color lithograph
1948
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Baseball Tournament was created by Sumio Kawakami (川上澄生).
Baseball Tournament depicts urban scenes, figures, and daily life.
