About This Print
This is the envelope enclosing the twelve print set, published by the Osaka publisher Furushima Takejirō in 1897, titled Famous Places in Ise (Souvenir Pictures). The envelopes design was the work of the artist Hirose Harutaka (1870-?) as were all the prints in the set of color lithographs. On the front of the envelope Hirose has depicted the famous cedar trees of Ise Grand Shrine and the buildings of Naikū Shrine all bathed in the glow of the rising sun. The back of the envelope, as shown below, contains the names and addresses of the publisher and distributors of the print set.Publishing details back of envelope
 click on image to enlarge | from right to left: 大阪市東区安土町三丁目十三番邸 發行兼印刷者 古島竹次郎 publisher and printer: Furushima Takejirō 発売所は (發賣所は) 伊勢国山田尾上町四十五番地 古島出張店 Sales Office: Furushima Branch Office, Yamada-Onoechō, Ise Province 大販賣 伊勢国山田岡本町 三共合資会社 Major Sales Promotion: Sankyō kabushiki kaisha (Sankyō Limited Liability Company), Yamada-Okamotochō, Ise Province 大販賣 伊勢国山田浦口町 橋爪五兵衛 Major Sales Promotion: Hashizume Gohei, Yamada-Uruguchichō, Ise Province 大販賣 伊勢国津西町 大竹武三郎 Major Sales Promotion: Ōtake Takesaburō?, Tsu-Nishichō, Ise Province |
About The Set "Famous Places in Ise - Souvenir Pictures of Famous Places in Ise"
The publisher, Furushima Takejirō, published twelve prints in February 1897 with the main title "Famous Place of Ise" and the subtitle "Souvenir Pictures of Famous Places in Ise." The entire set of twelve prints was enclosed in a decorative envelope (see below) picturing Ise Jingū's cedar trees and Naikū Shrine, bathed in the glow of the rising sun. This set of prints carries a release date of February 10, 1897. Fifteen days later, on February 25, 1897, prints one through eight only were enclosed in a different decorative envelope (see below) picturing Meoto Iwa (Married-Couple Rocks) at Futamigaura at sunrise along with pilgrims entering the Ise Shrine and released for sale. Both sets were sold to pilgrims in Tsu City and Yamada Town, stop-overs for pilgrims on their way to Ise Jingū.
These prints showed off the latest in color lithography techniques, with many of the prints achieving effects such as bokashi, a gradual gradation of colored ink typically used in woodblock printing.
 Map of Sangū Rail Line click on image to enlarge | It has been suggested that this set of prints was issued to promote the upcoming completion of the Sangū tetsudō 参宮鉄道 rail line (Shrine-bound railway) which began operation in 1893, but would only reach Ise Shrine proper (Yamada Station) in November 1897. (Prior to its November completion the rail line ended in Miyagawa, about 8 km from Ise Jingū.) To support this theory, it is pointed out that two of the prints (prints numbered 11 and 12) depict scenes in Tsu City, the starting point for the Sangū, and one print (number 8) depicts Yamada, whose rail station, Yamada Station, the final stop on the Sangū, was to open in November.1 |
On the back of the envelope containing the twelve print set (see image below), are the names of the sales office, Furujima Branch Office in Yamada-Onoechō, Ise Province (a branch of the publisher Takejirō Furujima, who was famous in Osaka at the time), and the distributors Sankyō Limited Liability Company in Yamada-Okamotochō, Ise Province; Hashizume Gohei in Yamada-Uraguchichō, Ise Province; and Ōtake Takesaburō in Tsu-Nishichō, Ise Province.
1 Summarized and translated from the website of Mie Prefectural Museum https://www.bunka.pref.mie.lg.jp/MieMu/82889046576.htm
The Set
| Print Number | Title | Inset Title |
| 1 (壱) | The Sanctuary Aramatsuri-no-miya of Naiku Ise Shrine 天照皇太神宮 内宮 | not applicable |
| 2 (二) | Toyouke Daijingū Shrine 豊受太神宮 外宮 | not applicable |
| 3 (三) | Illustration of Daidai-kagura 大々神楽之図 | Illustration of Kagura Hall 御神楽殿之図 |
| 4 (四) | View of Uji Bridge 宇治橋之景 | Naiku or Main Sanctuary of Ise 内宮神苑正面 |
| 5 (五) | View of Magatama Pond 曲玉池之景 | View of the Main Shrine Garden of Gekū 外宮神苑正面景 |
| 6 (六) | View of Futamigaura 二見浦之景 | View of Hinjitsukan 賓日館及海水景 |
| 7 (七) | Illustration of Furuichi Dance 古市踊之図 | not applicable |
| 8 (八) | Distant View of Yamada Town from Miyagawa Bridge 宮川橋より山田町を望む | not applicable |
| 9 (九) | View of Toyomiyazaki Library 豊宮崎文庫之景 | Agricultural Building 農業舘 |
| 10 (十) | View of Tsukiyomi no miya 月夜見宮之景 | View of Asama dake in Snow 朝熊岳雪景 |
| 11 (十一) | View of Tsu Park [renamed Kairaku Park] 津公園之景 | Kōzan Shrine 高山神社 |
| 12 (十二) | View of Akogi Heiji Monument 阿漕平治塚之景 | View of Karasu Imperial Shinto Shrine 御香良州神社景 |
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #2339 |
| Title (Description) | Souvenir Pictures of Famous Places in Ise - Twelve Prints (envelope for the set) 伊勢みやげ名所画 [as printed in the purple and cyan title cartouche upper right-hand corner] Twelve prints 拾二葉 [as printed in the red and white cartouche, in the upper right-hand margin] |
| Series | Famous Places in Ise - Souvenir Pictures of Famous Places in Ise 伊勢名所 伊勢土産名所図画 [as printed on each individual print] |
| Artist | Hirose Harutaka (1870-?) |
| Signature | no signature |
| Seal |  bottom seal: Harutaka 春孝 |
| Publication Date | printed: February 1, 1897 明治三十年二月一日印刷 [as printed on each individual print] issued: February 10, 1897 仝二月十日発行 [as printed on each individual print] |
| Publisher | Furushima Takejirō 古島竹次郎 Source: website of Stategic Management Laboratory Inc. https://sml.co.jp/documents/toppan-ichida.html?page=5 Furushima created both lithographs and woodblock prints and was a member of the Copperplate and Lithography Association of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce which had 27 companies listed as members in 1894. |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | fair - edges are worn and shows handling damage |
| Genre | meisho-e |
| Miscellaneous | color lithograph 色石版画; all rights reserved 版權所有 printed in upper right margin |
| Format | chuban |
| H x W Paper | 10 3/8 x 7 5/8 in. (26.4 x 19.4 cm) |
| H x W Image | 8 1/2 x 5 15/16 (21.6 x 15.1 cm) |
| Literature | |
| Collections This Print | Mie Prefectural Library [entire 12 print set] https://www.bunka.pref.mie.lg.jp/viewer/history/00011/book_swf.htm |
8/21/2020 created
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