About This Print
Two 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. Shimōsa Province (下総国, Shimōsa no Kuni) was a province of Japan located in and around the northern part of modern Chiba Prefecture, eastern Saitama Prefecture, eastern Tokyo (east coast side of Sumida River), and southwestern Ibaraki Prefecture. It was also called Sōshū.
It is unusual to see an ōban-size uncut sheet on which both prints representing a single province were printed. Most of the uncut sheets would have been cut into two chuban-size sheets and most of the chuban-size sheets would eventually be bound into albums.
Shimōsa is still famous for producing soy sauce and for watermelon. Kikkoman, among others, continues to produce soy sauce in that area.
Shimōsa is still famous for producing soy sauce and for watermelon. Kikkoman, among others, continues to produce soy sauce in that area.
Scroll Inscription on Producing Soy Sauce in Shimōsa (Top Print)
Source: with thanks to Yajifun http://yajifun.tumblr.com/ and National Institutes for the HumanitiesProducing Soy Sauce in Shimōsa Province 下總國醤油製造之圖
「醤油は葛飾郡野田海上銚子等より出すこと夥し 小麦を炒り大豆に和して麹をつくり 塩を和して大桶にいれて熟せしとき布の袋に包みてメ器に入て搾り樽に詰て諸国に出す 就中野田の亀甲万は上品にして八升六合入を一樽と定む」Scroll Inscription on Watermelon Field in Shimōsa (Bottom Print)
Source: National Museum of Japanese History http://www.rekihaku.ac.jp/up-cgi/getdocrd.pl?tn=1539&ti=0&h=./history/w11288752628_28652&ch=2&p=param/nisikie/db_param&o=1501&k=50&l=&sf=0&so=Notes:
［備考］中判 横 錦絵 画工：歌川広重３ 安藤徳兵衛 大鋸町四番地 版元：大倉孫兵衛 日本橋通一丁目十九番地 主題内容：産業・技術 物産絵 下総 葛飾 千葉 人名その他：西瓜 てんびんかご
Scroll:
葛飾千葉の両郡にておほく畑に作る蔓草にして 実の大さ冬瓜のことく 七八月のころ熟し 其そと皮は青黒色にして中は紅色なり また外皮白青色にして中黄なるものあり 水多くして味甘し 暑熱を消すものなり」「一八八」
Translation of Scroll on Watermelon Field in Shimōsa (Bottom Print)
“Watermelons are creepers in the field, particularly rich in Katsushika and Chiba, and the fruit is like a big white gourd, but outside of this is dark green and inside is red, while some are white outside and yellow inside. They are sweet and cool down fever.”1
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.
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #362 |
| Title or Description | Producing Soy Sauce and Watermelon Field in Shimōsa Province 下総国醤油製造之図・同西瓜畑之図 |
| 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 of the bottom print Full cartouche reads 画工 大鋸町四番地 安藤徳兵衛 [gakō Ōga machi yon banchi Andō Tokubei] |
| Seal | none |
| Publication Date | 1877 (Meiji 10) |
| Publisher |  appearing in right margin of bottom 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 | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | fair - soiling, frayed margins; full size sheet as printed |
| Genre | nishiki-e; kaika-e |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | oban |
| H x W Paper | 14 1/4 x 9 3/4 in. (36.2 x 23.5 cm) |
| H x W Image | 6 1/4 x 8 3/4 in. (16.2 x 22.5 cm) each print |
| Literature | |
| Collections This Print | Waseda University Library Archive 01_04265_0001; National Institute of Japanese Literature Archives & Collections 37T/02; National Museum of Japanese History H-22-1-30-7-15 |
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