from the late 1820s, kunisada began studying painting under hanabusa ikkei (英一珪), master of the itchō school. the art-name appearing on this print, "kōchōrō" (香蝶楼), borrows characters from his teacher's pseudonym (shinkō) and from the name of the school's founder, hanabusa itchō (英一蝶). both of these artists painted "bugaku" scenes prior to "fan print with two bugaku dancers," which are very different in style from kunisada's image.