Scroll (untitled)

The Ainu traditionally performed a number of different kinds of dances as part of both social and religious ceremonies. The women in this scene are probably performing a variation of the Crane Dance, one of the most widespread of the traditional Ainu dances. The Crane Dance is usually performed by women, who move their arms in elegant and fluid motions in imitation of a crane’s wings.

(Description from Museum of Anthropology at University of Missouri)

Grayson Collection- Museum of Anthropology at University of Missouri

Late 18th–mid 19th centuries