About This Print
One of 118 prints in the series Dai Nippon Bussan Zue (Products of Greater Japan), issued in August 1877 to coincide with the opening of Japan’s first National Industrial Exposition (Naikoku Kangyō Hakurankai) held in Tokyo’s Ueno Park, depicting fishermen netting flatfish in Wakasa Bay.Wakasa was famous for the flatfish caught in their offshore waters which were considered a winter delicacy. Wakasa flatfish were often steamed in salt water and then dried, as shown in the print Steaming Flatfish in Wakasa Province (IHL Cat. #1487).
The artist based many of his designs on the designs that appeared in the 1799 book Nihon Sankai Meisan Zue (Famous Sea and Land Products in Japan), leaving some question whether everything Hiroshige III portrayed in the series was truly the "state of the art" in 1877 when the series was issued. (Although for many activities pictured, things wouldhave looked much the same in 1877 as in 1799.) In many cases, the information in the scroll is also copied from the earlier work.
Scroll:
1 Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakasa_Province
Wakasa Province (若狭国 Wakasa no kuni) was an old province of Japan in the area that is today southern Fukui Prefecture. It is also known as Jakushū (若州) or Reinan (嶺南). The province's ancient capital was at Obama, which continued to be the main castle town through the Edo period. Wakasa bordered on Echizen, Ōmi, Tamba, Tango, and Yamashiro Provinces.1
The artist based many of his designs on the designs that appeared in the 1799 book Nihon Sankai Meisan Zue (Famous Sea and Land Products in Japan), leaving some question whether everything Hiroshige III portrayed in the series was truly the "state of the art" in 1877 when the series was issued. (Although for many activities pictured, things wouldhave looked much the same in 1877 as in 1799.) In many cases, the information in the scroll is also copied from the earlier work.
click on image to enlarge
若狭 鰈網
Illustration of netting flatfish in Wakasa from Nihon Sankai Meisan Zue (Famous Sea and Land Products in Japan), 1799
Multiple Editions (Variant Printings)
At least three variant printings (editions) were made of this series. Each variant printing uses a different colored cartouche for the series' title, either red, green or rainbow-colored. Different colored borders were also used and variances in the use of colors and shading are present in the three editions.Transcription of Scroll
Source: National Institutes for the Humanities
Notes:
［備考］中判 横 錦絵 画工：歌川広重３ 版元：大倉孫兵衛 主題内容：産業・技術 物産絵 若狭 越前 敦賀 敦賀 人名その他：帆船 綱 鰈 蟹
「若狭越前敦賀等の漁人三十石船に十二三人乗組 船の左右にわかれ帆を横につけ其力をかりて綱を曵けり 海の深さ四五十尋なる処にアハを水上にうかべ 岩を落して綱を広め水底にあそぶ鰈を捕る也 綱中雑交たるもの蟹多くして甚大いなり」
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #1485 |
| Title or Description | Fishing for Flatfish in Wakasa Province 若狭国鰈を取図 Wakasa no kuni karei oto zu |
| Series | Dai Nippon Bussan Zue 大日本物産図会 (Products of Greater Japan) |
| Artist | Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842–1894) |
| Signature | 廣重筆 Hiroshige hitsu in bottom right margin (trimmed on this print) |
| Seal | none |
| Publication Date | 1877 (Meiji 10) |
| Publisher | Ōkura Magobei 大倉孫兵衛 (Kin'eido; 1843-1921) [Marks: pub. ref. 627] |
| Impression | good |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | good - vertical centerfold reinforced by tape on verso; minor marks and soiling |
| Genre | nishiki-e; kaika-e |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | chuban |
| H x W Paper | 6 13/16 x 9 3/8 in. (17.3 x 23.8 cm) |
| H x W Image | 6 3/8 x 9 in. (16.2 x 22.9 cm) |
| Literature | |
| Collections This Print | Waseda University Library Archives 01_04265_0002; National Institutes for the Humanities H-22-1-30-7-21 |
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