Scarce copy of this wonderfully illustrated book, with 16 colour plates painted by Menpes Lovely work on China, covering many aspects of everyday life, culture and heritage. Subjects covered include early history, marriage, customs, hierarchy, agriculture, the yangtze, opium, gambling, and Hong Kong… The book is illustrated with 64 illustrations in black and white, and 16 striking full page colour plates by Mortimer Menpes. With text by Henry Arthur Blake. Published by Adam and Charles Black, London (1909). Publisher’s original decorated embossed blue cloth boards, with gilt design and lettering on upper cover and spine. Book Dimensions: 25.5 x 18.5 cm and Number of Pages: 138 Condition Firm and well bound copy. External covers in nice shape, and with light wear to corners, and spine ends. Internally the book is in good condition. No names or inscriptions. Stamped only on the title page. Pages are clean, with light foxing marks to the margin of pages. The text is fresh. The attractive illustrations make this a truly beautiful book (Please see pictures). ======================================== “Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1855 – 1938) Was an Australian-born British painter, author, printmaker and illustrator. After serving as an illustrator during the Boar War; Menpes travelled widely, visiting Burma, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Japan, Kashmir, Mexico, Morocco, and Spain. Many of his paintings were published in various travel books by Adam and Charles Black, but none are so beautiful a collection of paintings, subject and writings with love as VENICE.“ ========================================