This photo has been identified by TWO commenters as a photo taken by Kajima Seibei, with his favorite models, Ponta and Oen. Thanks for the ID ! One of the 60 large albumen prints found tipped into Captain Brinkley's 10-volume JAPAN : DESCRIBED AND ILLUSTRATED BY THE JAPANESE. Published in Boston in 1897. This set of books, with 260 real hand-tinted albumen prints found pasted in throughout, is discussed more fully HERE : www.flickr.com/photos/24443965@N08/3340015545/ While the above image has a beautiful display of many objects, here is a simpler take on the subject by T. ENAMI, with the caption giving my own simple take on the matter : www.flickr.com/photos/24443965@N08/2453415487/