Artwork

Binzasara, A Dance with Clappers (From the series Entertainments at the Height of the Niwaka Festival in the Pleasure Quarters)

Binzasara, A Dance with Clappers (From the series Entertainments at the Height of the Niwaka Festival in the Pleasure Quarters) is a print by the Romanticist artist Eishōsai Chōki. It dates from 1794 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This print depicts a dancer performing the Binzasara dance, characterized by the use of binzasara clappers and a flowered hat.

About this work

This print was probably sold as a souvenir during the Niwaka Festival, when geisha performed for crowds.

You see a woman in a bright kimono, mid-dance, holding two long wooden clappers called binzasara. Her sleeves and sash flutter as she moves, and a flowered hat sits on her head.

This print was probably sold as a souvenir during the Niwaka Festival, when geisha performed for crowds. The dance itself is old—farmers once used it to ask for good harvests. The artist shows just one moment, but you can almost hear the clappers clicking.

Look up more prints from japan, edo period (1615–1868) to see how artists turned daily life into art.

Overview

This print depicts a dancer performing the Binzasara dance, characterized by the use of binzasara clappers and a flowered hat. The work is part of a series documenting entertainments during the Niwaka Festival in the pleasure quarters.

Subject & Meaning

The Binzasara dance is an agricultural ritual associated with fertility, originally performed in May. The dancer's attire and props invoke agricultural deities, highlighting the dance's origins in rural traditions.

Technique & Style

The print captures a dynamic moment in the dance, conveying movement through the fluttering sleeves and sash of the dancer's bright kimono. The artist's focus on a single instant suggests a snapshot of a lively performance.

History & Provenance

The print was likely produced as a souvenir for the Niwaka Festival, which took place in the eighth lunar month and featured geisha performances. The festival was a significant event in the pleasure quarters, and such prints may have served as mementos.