Girl’s Portrait with a Marionette of a Sumō Wrestler (Sumō ningyō hana no torikumi)

In this series, figures of beauties with marionettes of wrestlers are depicted as torsos (the so-called semi-figures hanshin). They were commissioned by the publisher Magobei of the Kitaya House, though in point of fact they may actually have been commissioned by a producer of marionettes of sumō wrestlers. Each marionette can be identified by its apron with the emblem or name of a wrestler. The elegant composition, graded background and perfect technical execution also explain the rare presence of the signature of engraver Matsushima Fusajirō. (See Helena Honcoopová, Kunisada, Praha 2005, p. 98)