1901年首版《日本：色彩的記錄》Japan: A Record in Colour by Mortimer Menpes (1901, 1st Edition, A&C Black)

來源 (Provenance)：

本書（/本系列）原為美國著名東亞發展經濟學家、喬治華盛頓大學（GWU）教授艾伯特·蓋德爾博士（Dr. Albert Keidel）之個人珍藏。此後，這批藏書隨其治學足跡穿梭於東京、華盛頓、北京與各大國際智庫，見證了二十世紀末西方漢學與東亞經濟史學界的交流軌跡。

Provenance:

From the private collection of Dr. Albert Keidel, a prominent American development economist specializing in East Asia and a professor at George Washington University (GWU). This collection subsequently followed his academic and professional itinerary, traveling across Tokyo, Washington, D.C., Beijing, and various international think tanks, serving as a tangible testament to the cross-cultural exchange between Western Sinology and East Asian economic history in the late 20th century.

【內容簡介 / Synopsis】

 English: Published in London in 1901 by Adam & Charles Black, Japan: A Record in Colour is one of the most celebrated early 20th-century travel art books. Transcribed by Dorothy Menpes from her father’s vivid impressions, the volume captures the essence of late-Meiji era Japan. The text beautifully explores Japanese drama, living arts, painters' methods, gardens, and flower arrangements. It is famously illustrated with 75 exquisite full-page colour plates replicated from Mortimer Menpes' original paintings, each accompanied by a captioned tissue guard, offering a magnificent and nostalgic visual journey through old Japan.

 中文: 本書於 1901 年由倫敦 Adam & Charles Black 出版，是 20 世紀初最著名的旅遊藝術書之一。由多蘿西·曼佩斯（Dorothy Menpes）根據其父親對日本的生動印象轉錄整理而成，細緻記錄了明治晚期日本的社會風貌。全書深入探討了日本戲劇、生活藝術、畫家技法、庭園造景及插道。書中核心亮點為收錄了 75 幅根據莫蒂默·曼佩斯原作精印的全頁彩色圖版，每幅圖版均配有印有標題的半透明保護襯紙，完美再現了舊時日本的迷人色彩與視覺。

【歷史背景與重要性 / Historical Background & Significance】

 English: Mortimer Menpes (1855–1938) was an Australian-born British painter, printmaker, and a prominent disciple of James McNeill Whistler. His journey to Japan in the late 19th century profoundly influenced his impressionistic style and use of colour. This publication was a milestone for the publisher A&C Black, showcasing their pioneering three-colour printing process that revolutionized commercial art book production. It represents a vital historical artifact of Western "Japonisme"—the late Victorian and Edwardian obsession with Japanese culture, aesthetics, and craftsmanship.

 中文: 莫蒂默·曼佩斯（1955–1938）是出生於澳洲的英國畫家與版畫家，亦是名家詹姆斯·惠斯勒（Whistler）的核心弟子。他在 19 世紀末的日本之行深刻影響了他的印象派風格與色彩運用。這本書在出版商 A&C Black 的歷史上具有里程碑意義，它完美展示了當時革命性的「三色印刷技術」（Three-colour process），徹底改變了商業藝術書的製作水準。本書是西方「日本主義」（Japonisme）思潮的重要歷史見證，忠實反映了維多利亞晚期至愛德華時代西方世界對日本文化、美學與工藝的狂熱迷戀。

【書本狀態 / Condition Report】

 English: Good to Very Good Collection-Grade Condition. This copy is bound in its original dark blue-black publisher’s cloth, featuring a striking Art Nouveau-style gold-stamped design on the upper cover dominated by a large Japanese Imperial Chrysanthemum (Kiku) emblem. The gilt on the front cover remains exceptionally bright and clean. Inside, the pages and text blocks are crisp, with light foxing restricted mostly to the preliminary leaves. All 75 color plates are present, complete with their original titled tissue guards. There is a faint, neat, vintage bookseller’s pencil notation on the rear dark brown endpaper reading: "Spine - small snags & dull. £1.00" . The hinges are starting to show minor netting wear but remain holding well.

 中文: 良好至極佳的收藏級品相。 本書採用原裝出版商深藍黑色布面硬皮裝訂，封面飾有精美的新藝術運動（Art Nouveau）風格燙金線條，中央為醒目的日本皇室十六瓣菊花紋章。封面燙金保存得極其亮麗完好。內頁紙張與正文結構緊實，僅在扉頁與序言部分有輕微的歲月狐斑。書內 75 幅彩色圖版完整無缺，均保留了原始的標題保護襯紙。後內封面（深褐色環襯頁）邊緣帶有早期書商極其娟秀、淡淡的手寫鉛筆品相與標價記錄："Spine - small snags & dull. £1.00"（意為：書脊有微小勾絲且較暗，售價 1 英鎊）。書脊邊緣有些許磨損，內頁槽部位露出些許網布，但整體裝訂依舊穩固。

【鑑定發現：關於本書的獨特細節（Highlights & Hidden Details）】

1. 珍貴的跨大西洋發行印記（The Transatlantic Agency Note）：

在書的版權/宣傳頁背面，可以看到極為清晰的美國代理商印記："AGENTS IN AMERICA: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK"。這證明此版本是專門用於跨大西洋出口、在紐約麥克米倫（Macmillan）發行的英美兩地早期市場流通本，對研究 A&C Black 在 20 世紀初的全球發行網絡極具文獻價值。

2. 歷史鉛筆註記與舊時身價：

後環襯（⁠image_82⁠）頂部留下的舊古書商筆跡，不僅點出了書脊（Spine）有些許小瑕疵（small snags），也記錄了它過去曾以 £1.00（1英鎊） 售出的歷史痕跡。這種保留古書店鉛筆評級的細節，是資深 rare book 藏家非常喜愛的「歷史痕跡（Provenance dust）」。

3. 大膽的圖版排版與裝幀設計：

從 ⁠（描繪歌舞伎演員 An Actor）、⁠（雷門/淺草寺風貌）及 ⁠（夜間提燈提琴的孩童）中可發現，A&C Black 採用了當時最先進的掛頁粘貼法（Tipped-in plates）。封面極具裝飾性的線條與皇室菊花結合，是典型英國工藝美術運動與日本主義碰撞出的火花。

1. The Transatlantic Agency Note:

On the reverse of the copyright/announcement page, a highly distinct American agent imprint is visible: "AGENTS IN AMERICA: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK." This confirms that this specific copy belongs to the early transatlantic export edition distributed by Macmillan in New York for the Anglo-American market. It holds significant bibliographic value for scholars researching A&C Black’s global distribution network at the turn of the 20th century.

2. Historical Pencil Notations & Vintage Pricing:

The vintage bookseller’s handwriting left at the top of the rear endpaper not only points out minor condition details ("Spine - small snags & dull") but also chronicles its historical trade price of £1.00. Such preserved penciled annotations from old bookshops are highly prized by seasoned rare book collectors as authentic "provenance dust," adding character and history to the volume.

3. Bold Plate Layout & Decorative Binding Design:

The illustrations—including the depiction of the Kabuki actor ("An Actor"), the scenes of Kaminarimon/Asakusa Temple, and the children holding lanterns at night—beautifully showcase A&C Black's utilization of the then-cutting-edge "tipped-in plates" method. Furthermore, the combination of intricate decorative lines and the Imperial Chrysanthemum emblem on the cover perfectly embodies the historic collision between the British Arts and Crafts Movement and Japonisme.