Japan, published in the Meiji period, 1897 (original design earlier, as the artist died in 1879)
This compositionally complex woodblock print offers an immersive view into the interior of Bizenya, the largest and most prestigious brothel in the Furuichi red-light district (Ise Province), also known as Gyusharou. Bizenya is historically renowned for being the first establishment in Furuichi to perform the famous Ise Ondo dance, dating back to the Kan'ei era (1624–1645). Far from a static display, the print vividly captures a dynamic, mass performance of this dance on a unique elevating stage (seriage) invented by the house in 1794. Dozens of courtesans (yūjo) in identical blue kimonos are depicted in synchronized motion, accompanied by shamisen players in the immediate foreground. At the bottom, guests are shown marveling at this grand production. The colophon in the bottom left corner dates the publication of this specific impression to the 30th year of the Meiji period (1897).
