Selling Toothpicks at Itsukushima and Hiroshima Oyster Farm in Aki Province from the series Dai Nippon Bussan Zue (Products of Greater Japan)

 

Japanese Color Woodblock Print

Selling Toothpicks at Itsukushima and Hiroshima Oyster Farm in Aki Province (crepe print)

from the series Dai Nippon Bussan Zue

(Products of Greater Japan)

by Utagawa Hiroshige III, 1877

Mat Making in Bingo Province from the series Dai Nippon Bussan Zue (Products of Greater Japan)

(crêpe print)
IHL Cat. #668

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. The top depicts the selling of souvenir toothpicks at Istukushima Shrine on Miyajima island and the bottom depicts oyster farming in Aki Province.  The top is a view from one of the "floating" buildings (Haraiden purification hall of the Marōdo auxiliary shrine) at Itsukushima Shrine.  According to the Miyajima Tourist Association "the shrine was a popular landmark in Miyajima where many people came to relax and cool themselves and to buy popular souvenirs such as tooth picks, and a variety of legends and traditions have been created here."1

This print is reduced in size to 9 1/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.5 x 16.8 cm) from the originally issued double-chuban size (two uncut chuban prints) of approximately 14 1/4 x 9 3/4 in. (36.2 x 23.5 cm) by the chirimen process.  (See the explanation in the Glossary under chirimen-e ("crêped" print).

Aki Province (安芸国 Aki no kuni) or Geishū (芸州) was a province in the Chūgoku Region of western Honshū, comprising the western part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture.

In the late Heian Period (12th century), Aki Province became well known for the Itsukushima Shrine. Taira no Kiyomori realized the shrine's importance and donated funds for a new complex of buildings and sutra scrolls.2 

Reference Images of Full Size Prints

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 http://www.miyajima.or.jp/english/spot/spot_other.html
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aki_Province/

Print Details

 IHL Catalog
 #668
 Title or Description Selling Toothpicks at Itsukushima and Hiroshima Oyster Farm
安芸国厳島楊枝ヲ鬻図 and (安芸)広島牡蛎蓄養之図 
 Series
 Dai Nippon Bussan Zue 大日本物産図会 (Products of Greater Japan)
 Artist  Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842–1894)
 Signature
廣重筆 Hiroshige hitsu in bottom right margin of top print









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 安藤徳兵エ [gakō Ōga machi yon banchi Andō Tokubei]
 Seal  none
 Publication Date 1877 (Meiji 10) (it is not known when this chirimen version of the print was published)
 Publisher
Ōkura Magobei 大倉孫兵衛 (a.k.a. Yorozuya Magobei; firm name Kin'eido; 1843-1921) [Marks: pub. ref. 627]
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 excellent
 Genre nishiki-e; kaika-e
 Miscellaneous a chirimen (crepe print)
 Format chuban
 H x W Paper
 9 1/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.5 x 16.8 cm)
 Literature

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