Two tattooed Japanese grooms or footmen

A colourised black and white portrait photograph showng two tattoed Japanese men from behind. The two men stand in the middle of the frame, the one to the left of the image facing away from the camera and the one to the right of the image half-turned so that his left side is towards the camera and half of his face is visible. Both men are naked and barefoot apart from loinclothes. They are both tattoed on their backs, upper arms and buttocks; the one on the right side of the image also has tattoos extending down his thighs. The tattoos include patterns and have largely been coloured blue-green. Both men hap topknots. They are pictured against a bare background with a skirting board at the foot. They are standing on a mat, carpet or floor with a checked pattern. An object, possibly a low stool or rest, sits on the floor between them and a wall. Original caption (handwritten in ink beneath): 'Tattooed Grooms'

This photograph was probably taken in a commercial photography studio. The word 'grooms' refers to some form of footman.