[Japan]. Souvenir Photograph Album of Japan

描述

[Japan]. Souvenir Photograph Album of Japan. Yokohama or Tokyo, ca. 1890–1905. 24 hand-coloured albumen photographs, accordion-fold album in original lacquered boards, 205 × 155 mm.
明治中後期製作的日本外銷紀念相簿，原裝黑漆木板封面以金、銀及朱漆描繪富士山、柳樹、亭舍與旅人，人物面部另以白色材質鑲嵌。冊內收錄24張手工上色蛋白照片，題材涵蓋東京、橫濱港、長崎諏訪神社、富士山、武士甲冑，以及女性服飾與日常生活場景。
A Japanese export souvenir album produced during the middle to late Meiji period. Its original black lacquer boards are decorated in gold, silver and red with Mount Fuji, travellers, willow trees and a traditional pavilion, while the figures’ faces are separately inlaid in a pale material. The album contains 24 original hand-coloured albumen photographs depicting Tokyo, Yokohama harbour, Suwa Shrine in Nagasaki, Mount Fuji, a studio portrait of a warrior in armour, and various scenes of women’s dress and everyday life.
這類相簿通常由橫濱攝影館供應海外旅客，照片先以蛋白銀鹽法印製，再由專業著色師逐張施彩，是十九世紀末「橫濱寫真」文化的代表性作品。漆板邊緣有磨損及局部剝落，部分照片略有褪色與斑點，整體保存完整，人物鑲嵌亦仍保留。
Albums of this type were created by Yokohama photographic studios for foreign travellers, combining albumen photography with meticulous hand colouring. The lacquer boards show edge wear and some losses, while several photographs display light fading and spotting; nevertheless, the album remains complete and visually impressive.