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. It depicts the making of tatami mats 畳表 in Bingo Province (備後国, Bingo no kuni) which is now part of Hiroshima Prefecture.
Bingo Province (備後国Bingo no kuni) was a province of Japan on the Inland Sea side of westernHonshū, comprising what is today the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture. It was sometimes called Bishū (備州), with Bizen and BitchuProvinces. Bingo bordered Bitchū, Hōki, Izumo, Iwami, and Aki Provinces.1
The crêped version of the print, IHL Cat. #1921, was made by the chirimen process, resulting in a cloth-like, smaller dimensioned, irregularly shaped print. (See the explanation in the Glossary under chirimen-e ("crêped" print).Transcription of Scroll
Source: with thanks to Yajifun http://yajifun.tumblr.com/Mat Making in Bingo Province 備後？（國）疊表ヲ製圖
“？（ヰ）ハ六月？（カリ）とりて後その根より生じたる新芽を秋に至りて他の田にうつし度々?肥を入て翌六月土用まへ?に？とる也 さて土中に穴をほりて右の？に白土を水に和しその内にて度々すりこミ日にさらし？？をえらび？？糸を経糸として機（ハタ）にかけており上ケ立毛?を去りて壱枚づゝ白つちをふりてよくすり込ミ荷つくりをして諸国にいだす也” ※ヰ 藺 藺草 カリ 苅 刈
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. A crêped version of the series was also produced.
| IHL Catalog | #461, #1921 |
| Title or Description | Mat Making in Bingo Province 備後國疊表ヲ製圖 |
| Series | Dai Nippon Bussan Zue 大日本物産図会 (Products of Greater Japan) |
| Artist | Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842–1894) |
| Signature |  IHL Cat. #1921: Artist's name trimmed from this print. |
| Seal | none |
| Publication Date | 1877 (Meiji 10) |
| Publisher |  appearing in right margin 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) IHL Cat. #1921: Publishing information trimmed from this print |
| Impression | IHL Cat. #461: excellent IHL Cat. #1921: excellent |
| Colors | IHL Cat. #461: excellent IHL Cat. #1921: excellent |
| Condition | IHL Cat. #461: fair - soiling, thinning of paper, vertical center fold, partially backed IHL Cat. #1921: good - margins trimmed almost to image, normal misshapen size due to chirimen process |
| Genre | nishiki-e; kaika-e |
| Miscellaneous |  |
| Format | chuban |
| H x W Paper | IHL Cat. #461: 6 7/8 x 9 3/8 in. (17.3 x 23.8 cm) IHL Cat. #1921: 5 1/8 x 7 1/8 in. (13 x 18.1 cm) |
| H x W Image | IHL Cat. #461: 6 3/8 x 8 7/8 in. (16.2 x 22.5 cm) IHL Cat. #1921: 4 7/8 x 7 in. ( 12.4 x 17.8 cm) |
| Literature | |
| Collections This Print |
9/26/18
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