Unai no tomo (sumo wrestlers)

Unai no tomo (sumo wrestlers) and Unai no tomo (horses) are from Unai no tomo (1891-1924), a series of Meiji era books containing delightfully detailed and wonderfully whimsical woodblock prints of Japanese folk toys.

Unai no tomo is the ten-volume brainchild of artist, calligrapher, and collector Seifu Shimizu (1851-1913). The series is an ode to traditional Japanese folk toys in the form of richly rendered woodblock printing. From hobbyhorses to noisemakers, Unai no tomo documented a variety of objects that were not only articles of play but also items deeply rooted in Shinto and traditional Japanese folklore.