noun
boy with untied hair (before coming-of-age ceremony); appearance of a boy with untied hair
Historical term referring to a boy before his genpuku (coming-of-age) ceremony, when his hair was worn loose. Also used for the visual appearance of such a boy.
童形の少年が祭りの行列に加わっていた。
A boy with his hair still untied (before his coming-of-age) joined the festival procession.
この絵巻には童形の姿が描かれている。
This picture scroll depicts the appearance of a boy with untied hair.
Compound of 童 (child, boy) and 形 (form, shape). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally associated with the pre-genpuku appearance.