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.

Etchū Province (越中国 Etchū no kuni) was an old province in central Honshū, on the Sea of Japan side. It was sometimes called Esshū (越州), with Echizen and Echigo Provinces. It bordered Echigo, Shinano, Hida, Kaga, and Noto provinces. The area is now called Toyama Prefecture. The ancient provincial capital was Takaoka, but by the Sengoku Period the area was usually held by lords from neighboring provinces like Echigo and Kaga.¹

Shinkawa county, referenced in the Scroll Translation below, was a district in Etchū Province (present Kamiichi-cho Town, Toyama Prefecture).

Transcription of Scroll

Source: with thanks to Yajifun http://yajifun.tumblr.com/

Iron Works in Etchu Province 越中國鐵物細工之圖

“鐵物ハ新川郡亀谷村より産す 職工鎔（トカ）し煆（キタ）へて火鉢鉄瓶及鍬鎌木?を製ス 殊に高岡にて製する佛具その他の物品 其製良工にして鳥獣草花の毛彫細密なり 就中内國勸業博覽會へ出品の花瓶ハ頗る精妙にして賞牌をたまハりしと云”

Scroll Translation
Source: Picturing Westernization and Modernization: A Woodblock Print Collection from Late 19th Century Japan, Izumi Koide, June 16, 2006, a paper delivered at the WORLD LIBRARY AND INFORMATION CONGRESS: 72ND IFLA GENERAL CONFERENCE AND COUNCIL 20-24 August 2006, Seoul, Korea http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla72/papers/085-Koide-en.pdf
Ironwork is produced in Kametani village in Shinkawa county. Workmen melt and forge iron to make hibachi, or brazier, iron kettles, hoes, sickles, etc. Buddhist altar fittings and other works produced in Takaoka are particularly good in quality, with fine carved decorations of birds, animals, and flowers. Among them, vases exhibited at the National Industrial Exposition were outstandingly exquisite and received awards.

Multiple Editions (Variant Printings)

At least three variant printings (editions) were made of this series.  Each variant printing uses a different colored cartouche containing 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.