Spring Dancers (Manzai)
1704
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
1704
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Spring Dancers (Manzai) is a 1704 unspecified by Miyagawa Chōshun, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
Two men in bright robes dance under cherry blossoms. One holds a fan, the other a small drum. Their faces are quick, happy lines—no detail, just motion. This painting shows *manzai*, a kind of street comedy from Japan’s Edo period. The dancers traveled in spring, bringing jokes and music to towns. Chōshun painted them like a quick sketch, as if they just passed by. To see more of this light, lively style, look up *japan, edo period (1615–1868)*.
Manzai is the Japanese term for wandering comic dancers. The painting depicts one of the traditional pleasures of the spring season.
One performer is playing a hand-held drum, like CMA 1918.349 .
Read the full account in the museum source.
Your cart is empty
Explore artworks →
