Madame Butterfly by John Luther LONG (First Japanese Edition)
LONG, John Luther. Madame Butterfly. New York: The Century Co., 1903.
The first Japanese edition. With an introduction – ‘amachidosama’ - by the author. Madame Butterfly was first published in Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine in 1898. It was first published in book form the same year, alongside Long's other short fiction, under the title Madame Butterfly, Purple Eyes, A Gentleman of Japan and a Lady, Kito, Glory.
The Japanese edition of Madame Butterfly is illustrated with 9 photogravure plates by C. Yarnall Abbott. The decorative cloth binding is designed by the Japanese artist Genjiro Yeto and is signed with his monogram "Y." The front cover is stamped in dark green, gilt and white, and it depicts long stemmed lotus flowers rising from a rippling waterscape.
Madame Butterfly was adapted for the stage in 1900. Giacomo Puccini based his 1904 opera Madama Butterfly on the play.
152 p., 9 b/w plates. 8vo, original decorative cloth, slight wear to spine ends, gilt border, top edge gilt. Contemporary owner’s name to front endpaper. A beautiful copy.