Making Arrowroot [Kudzu] Starch in Yamato Province from the series Dai Nippon Bussan Zue (Products of Greater Japan)

Digging Kudzu [Pueraria] Root in Yamato Province from the series Dai Nippon Bussan Zue (Products of Greater Japan)
 

Japanese Color Woodblock Print

Making Arrowroot [Kudzu] Starch in Yamato Province

from the series Dai Nippon Bussan Zue

(Products of Greater Japan)

by Utagawa Hiroshige III, 1877

Producing Uji Tea in Yamashiro Province, figure 2 from the series Dai Nippon Bussan Zue (Products of Greater Japan)

IHL Cat. #367

IHL Cat. #367A

IHL Cat. #1506

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. In this print, kuzu (Japanese arrowroot or pueraria) is being processed into starch.  Yamato Province (大和国, Yamato no Kuni) was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū.1

Kuzu root is the traditional medicine of choice for a host of digestive disorders and it is also used as a cooking starch.

The top print appears to be an earlier printing as the lines are crisper and the print holds more detail.  Small color changes have been made in the later edition below it, e.g. color of the roof, addition of reddish sunset in the background.

「扨もみ出したる汁を布の袋に入て絞り再び木綿袋に入て漉し　一日の間静定て上は水を捨かたまりを乾し底に付し黒き粉を削り又澄し桶に入てかきまぜ　沈澱す るにしたがひ上水を取りのぞく　再三に及ひて乾したるを灰と布を敷たる晒匣にいれて日に干す也　是を灰くすといふ也　此灰くすを前の如く水干する事七八度 にして後厚紙を敷たるさらし袋に入　日に干たるが即葛粉也」


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.

1 Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato_Province

Print Details

 IHL Catalog
 #367 and #367A and #1506
 Title or Description Making Arrowroot Powder in Yamato Province
 大和国葛之粉製図 Yamato no kuni kazura no kona sei zu
 Series
 Dai Nippon Bussan Zue 大日本物産図会 (Products of Greater Japan)
 Artist  Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842–1894)
 Signature
Andō Tokubei - artist's family name appearing in the bottom of the cartouche in the left margin
Full cartouche reads 画工 大鋸町四番地 安藤徳兵エ [gakō Ōga machi yon banchi Andō Tokubei]
 Seal  none
 Publication Date 1877 (Meiji 10)
 Publisher
Ōkura Magobei 大倉孫兵衛 (Kin'eido; 1843-1921) [Marks: pub. ref. 627]
appearing in right margin (partially trimmed on this print)
Full cartouche reads 出版人 日本橋通一丁目十九番地   大倉孫兵衛 (Publisher, Nihobashi-dōri Itchōme 19-banchi, Ōkura Magobei)
 Impression IHL Cat. #367: excellent
 IHL Cat. #367A: excellent
 IHL Cat. #1506: excellent
 Colors IHL Cat. #367: excellent
 IHL Cat. #367A: excellent
 IHL Cat. #1506: excellent
 Condition IHL Cat. #367: good - vertical centerfold
 IHL Cat. #367A: good - vertical centerfold
 IHL Cat. #1506: good - vertical centerfold reinforced by tape on verso
 Genre nishiki-e; kaika-e
 Miscellaneous 
 Format chuban
 H x W Paper
 IHL Cat. #367: 6 7/8 x 9 3/8 in. (17.5 x 23.8 cm)
 IHL Cat. #367A: 6 7/8 x 9 3/8  (17.5 x 23.8 cm)
 IHL Cat. #1506 6 3/4 x 9 3/8 in. (17.1 x 23.8 cm)
 H x W Image
 IHL Cat. #367: 6 3/8 x 9 in. (16.2 x 22.9 cm)
 IHL Cat. #367A: 6 3/8 x 9 in. (16.2 x 22.9 cm)
 IHL Cat. #1506: 6 3/8 x 9 in.  (16.2 x 22.9 cm)
 Literature

 Collections This Print
 Hagi Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum Urakami system:U02990; Waseda University Library Archives 01_04265_0001; National Museum of Japanese History H-22-1-30-7-3