完成復刻世界最大鳥類図鑑: 美國雀鳥、當年由美國黑船艦佩里献給日本

A few weeks ago the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:

アメリカの鳥:復刻　世界最大の鳥類図鑑、ペリーが献上

毎日新聞　2014年12月09日　21時23分（最終更新　12月09日　23時12分）

　野鳥を実物大で色鮮やかに描き、「アメリカの宝」とうたわれる世界最大の本「アメリカの鳥」の復刻版が完成した。その一部のページが９日、復刻した雄松堂書店から在日米大使館の広報施設アメリカンセンタージャパンに贈呈された。

　「アメリカの鳥」は１９世紀に活躍した画家で博物学者のジョン・ジェームズ・オーデュボンが１０年以上かけて完成させた、北米の野鳥と植物を描いた銅版画の図版。世界に約１２０セットしか現存せず、２０１０年には原書が印刷本として史上最高額の９億６５００万円で落札された。復刻は原書に忠実に行われ、大きさは半畳ほどもある。４巻セットの重さは１０５キロ。明星大が所蔵する原書をもとにデジタル印刷の技術を使って高精細に絵を再現し、紙は原書の風合いを生かして特別に作り製本した。

　この本は幕末にペリーが日本に来航した際に徳川幕府に献上されたことでも知られ、それから今年で１６０年。雄松堂書店の新田満夫会長は「記念の年に復刻できてうれしい」と話した。

【中村美奈子】

(試譯文)

  Wild birds of original size were vividly drawn in color: a reprinted edition of the so called "American treasure", as the biggest book in the world the "The Birds of America", was completed. On the 9^th (December) in Japan at the US embassy’s public relations facilities the American Center, certain pages were presented to Japan by the Yushodo Bookstore that reproduced it.

  "The Birds of America" was drawn by an active painter of the 19th century John James Audubon, a naturalist, who took more than 10 years to complete illustrations of North American wild birds and plants in copperplate engraving. Only about 120 sets existed in the world. The bidding to print out the originals in a book was successfully bid in 2010 at the highest ever price of 965 million yen. The printing reproduced the original faithfully, and the size was reaching half of a tatami mat. The weight in a set of 4 roll was 105 kilo. Using high definition digital printing technology, pictures were reproduced from the original that was possessed by the Meisei University. The paper was made to match the original feeling and was specially bound together.

  It was known that this book was presented to the Tokugawa Shogunate when Perry came by ship to Japan in the late Tokugawa period; this year (2014) was the 160th years. Chairperson Mitsuo Nitta of the Yushodo Bookstore said "I am happy because I can reproduce it in the year of commemoration".

My understanding is that M.C. Perry (1794-1858) was an American naval officer who commanded a US naval mission to force Japan to accept a treaty in opening up ports to western trade. China, a few years before Perry’s visit to Japan, had already open some ports including Hong Kong to western trade after being defeated by the British in several battles known as the Opium War.