333 - Hiroshige III (1842–1894) Series: Illustrations of Famous Products of Greater Japan (Dai Nippon Bussan Zue)

Hiroshige III (1842–1894) Series: Illustrations of Famous Products of Greater Japan (Dai Nippon Bussan Zue) Title of top print: View of Arimatsu Shibori Tie-Dyeing in Owari Province (Owari kuni, Arimatsu shibori no zu) Title of the lower print: View of the Production of Nagoya Uchiwa Fans in Owari Province (Owari kuni, Nagoya uchiwa no zu) This print is a valuable record of the traditional crafts of Owari Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture), divided into two richly detailed horizontal panels. Woodblock print Signed: “Hiroshige” at the top of the right margin Period: Meiji era (specifically dated to the 8th month of Meiji 10, or 1877) Publisher: Okura Magobei Format: Vertical oban comprising two superimposed chuban-sized scenes Slight foxing and scattered signs of wear, typical for a print of this period. Unlined. A small tear at a corner in the margin; two thumbtack holes. Published in August 1877 by Okura Magobei on the occasion of the first National Industrial Exhibition in Tokyo, this series by Hiroshige III is an interesting testament to the Meiji era’s efforts at modernization and the promotion of local resources. This print combines two of the Nagoya region’s most iconic crafts: shibori textiles and uchiwa basketry and paper-making. Provenance: Manoir du Vally, Guingamp.