The Actor Takii Hannosuke as an effeminate youth c. 1707

Torii Kiyonobu I made this print of the actor Takii Hannosuke sometime between the late 17th and early 18th century, using woodblock on paper. The print captures Takii in an onnagata role, where male actors play women's roles in Kabuki theater. These roles, deeply embedded in the social fabric of Japan, became increasingly important after women were banned from the stage in 1629. The onnagata were celebrated figures, embodying ideals of femininity and challenging conventional gender roles. The visual codes in the actor's costume, like the swastika, give insight into the cultural environment in which the print was made. What we see is not only a depiction of a performer but also a reflection of the social and cultural landscape of Japan during the Edo period. Art history relies on such historical details for a nuanced understanding of the work, using resources to better understand the conditions of its production.