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, workers are mining a white sand that will be be used in tooth powder, for polishing rice to make uruchi, and other applications using polishing sand.  Iga Province was a province in the area that is today Mie Prefecture. Iga bordered on Ise, Ōmi,Yamato, and Yamashiro Provinces.

The Hagi Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum Urakami database (see below) shows that this print and Coal Mining in Iga Province were printed together on the same oban size sheet.

Transcription of Scroll

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

Polishing-sand of Iga Province 伊賀國磨砂

“磨砂ハ山田郡長の山より出す礦属にして其色白きこと雪の如し 其用銅鐵を磨き疊表を製するに用ゆ 又是を篩ひ（フルヒ）香具を和く 紅をさして齒磨藥を製する事おひたゞし 此砂ハ白亜の稉にして粘なしといふ” 

※稉＝粳＝うる、うるち

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	#323 and #1488
Title or Description	Polishing-sand of Iga Province  伊賀国磨砂 Iga kuni migakizuna
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 (partially trimmed on both prints)
Seal	none
Publication Date	1877 (Meiji 10)
Publisher	Ōkura Magobei 大倉孫兵衛 (Kin'eido; 1843-1921) [Marks: pub. ref. 627]
Impression	IHL Cat. #323: good  IHL Cat. #1488: excellent
Colors	IHL Cat. #323: excellent  IHL Cat.#1488: excellent
Condition	IHL Cat. #323: good - likely original centerfold from binding in small book  IHL Cat. #1488: good - vertical centerfold reinforced verso
Genre	nishiki-e; kaika-e
Miscellaneous
Format	chuban
H x W Paper	IHL Cat. #323: 6 7/8 x 9 1/4 in. (17.5 x 23.5 cm)  IHL Cat. #1488: 6 13/16 x 9 3/8 in. (17.3 x 23.8 cm)
H x W Image	IHL Cat. #323: 6 3/8 x 8 7/8 in. (16.2 x 22.5 cm)  IHL Cat. #1488: 6 3/8 x 8 7/8 in. (16.2 x 22.5 cm)
Literature
Collections This Print	Hagi Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum Urakami system: U02977; Waseda University Library Archive 01_04265_0001; National Institute of Japanese Literature Archives & Collections 37T/026