Copper drum catalogue

This is one of the classics of mining and metallurgical technology from the Edo period. It was edited and published by the Sumitomo family around 1804-1805 (Bunka 1-2) as a guidebook for visiting officials from the shogunate and Dutch trading post who visited the Sumitomo Copper Smelter (refinery) in Osaka. The book is made up of 27 easy-to-understand illustrations that show the various processes at the Besshi Copper Mine and Osaka Copper Smelter operated by Sumitomo, such as mining, ore dressing, drainage, ore burning, smelting (subuki, mabuki, saobuki), copper-lead blowing (fukido), copper-lead blowing (nanbanbuki), and silver-lead blowing (haibuki), as well as the various refining tools used. The author was Niwa Motokuni, who also drew "Shokoku Meisho Zue." The commentary was written by Tsuna Masuda, the manager of the factory at the time, and the title of Shokusanjin (Ota Nanpo) appears at the beginning of the book. It is a valuable document in the history of Japanese mining, and can be said to be the forerunner of today's factory guides.

[Kenichi Iida]

"Reprint of the Complete Works of Japanese Science Classics 4" edited by Hirone Saegusa (1978, Asahi Shimbun)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代採鉱冶金(やきん)技術の代表的古典の一つ。大坂の住友銅吹所(どうふきしょ)（精錬所）を訪れる幕府やオランダ商館などの高官たちのための参観用案内書として、1804、1805年（文化1、2）ころ住友家が編集刊行した。住友の経営する別子銅山(べっしどうざん)と大坂銅吹所における採鉱、選鉱、排水、焼鉱、溶鉱（素吹(すぶき)、間吹(まぶき)、棹吹(さおぶき)）や、銅鉛の吹合せ（吹銅(ふきどう)）、銅鉛の吹分け（南蛮吹(なんばんぶき)）、銀鉛の吹分け（灰吹(はいふき)）などの諸工程、ならびに使用する精錬用諸道具が、27枚の絵図によってわかりやすく構成されている。作者は『諸国名所図会』を描いた丹羽元国(にわもとくに)。なお当時の吹所支配人増田綱が解説を書き、巻頭に蜀山人(しょくさんじん)（大田南畝(なんぽ)）の題字がある。今日の工場案内の先駆ともいえる日本鉱業史の貴重な文献である。

［飯田賢一］

『三枝博音編『復刻日本科学古典全集4』（1978・朝日新聞社）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例