Step into the enigmatic world of 17th-century Japanese performance with this captivating canvas print of Dancer with a Sword (男舞図) — an anonymous Edo period masterpiece dating to around 1670, now held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
At first glance, the figure appears to be a male courtier: adorned with an eboshi palace hat tied with crimson silk cords, ceremonial swords at the hip, and Shinto ritual wands tucked into the sash.
Yet look closer, and the painting reveals something far more intriguing.
This is a young woman performing otokomai — literally, "manly dances" — a fashionable genre of cross-dressed performance that captivated both private and public audiences in late 17th-century Japan.
Her topknot hairstyle, typically associated with male youth performers known as wakashu, adds yet another layer of deliberate ambiguity.
Bold, theatrical, and quietly subversive, this image sits at the intersection of gender, performance, and aristocratic fashion — and is widely regarded as a forerunner of the iconic ukiyo-e tradition that would flourish in the decades that followed.
A conversation piece as much as a work of art, this print brings centuries of cultural intrigue to any wall.
Print Details:
Size: 8″ × 12″
1.25″ thick poly-cotton blend canvas, hand-stretched over solid wood stretcher bars
Fade-resistant, vivid print
Mounting brackets included
Blank canvas sourced from the US, Canada, Europe, UK, or Australia
Ideal for lovers of Japanese art, performance history, and one-of-a-kind statement pieces.
Age restrictions: For adults
EU Warranty: 2 years
Other compliance information: Meets the lead level requirements.
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