The design depicts the courtesans Imamurasaki and Shōshō, dressed as shirabyōshi (female dancers who performed in men’s court attire) executing a contemporary interpretation of the otoko mai (literally “male dance”) at the Kinpeirō (House of the Golden Vase), a brothel in the New Yoshiwara pleasure district of Edo (present-day Tokyo). The leftmost panel of triptych depicts a young kamuro dressed as a butterfly playing a drum, accompanied by a row of female singers and musicians positioned behind her. Such performances blended classical references with modern theatrical conventions that appealed to the urban audiences familiar with both courtly and popular culture.

You can view two panels of the preparatory drawing for this print in our collection here: Accession no. 2025.006