| Description | Straw bale (or tawara) from the 2025 Grand Sumo Wrestling Tournament.
Half buried into the clay, these straw bales mark out the perimeter of the wrestling ring or dohyo and provide steps up onto the fighting surface. These bales also symbolise the deeply rooted connection Sumo has to the Shinto religion, which assigns nature a sacred meaning or power. Historically Sumo was performed outdoors and the four offset bales on each side allowed rainwater to drain away. Each bale has a different name depending on where it is placed in the ring.
Although the bales are tradiotionally made from rice straw, this one is made with plastic due to restrictions on bringing plant-based materials into the UK. |