Forum Rare Books

Two 17th-century commentaries on the Ten Commandments and the Seven Sacraments by an Italian Jesuit

ARANEA, Vincenzo. In praecepta decalogi secundae tabulae dicta tractatus.
Including: [IDEM]. Disputationes de sacramentis novae legis.
[L'Aquila, ca. 1640]. 2 volumes. 4to. Written in a neat Italian cursive hand, some parts in other hands. Uniformly bound in contemporary vellum. [8], 270, [4] ll.; [4], 655, [10] pp. Full description

€ 8,500

Jesuits Manuscripts & Documents Religion (17th Century)

The Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament based on the famous Antwerp Polyglot

ARIAS MONTANUS, Benito (editor). Novum testamentum Graecum.
[Geneva], Petrus de la Rouière, 1619.
With: (2) PAGNINI, Sante (translator) and Benito ARIAS MONTANUS (editor). Biblia Hebraica eorundem Latina interpretatio ...
[Geneva], Petrus de la Rouière, 1618. 2 works in 1 volume, both in 4 parts. Folio. With numerous decorated woodcut initials and woodcut headpieces, the work is printed in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew type. Contemporary blind-tooled vellum with remnants of closing ties, red gauffered edges. [8], 271, [1 blank], [50], [2 blank], [4], 70, [2 blank], 167, [1 blank]; 183, [1], 283, [1 blank], 84, 203, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 8,500

Bibles, Liturgy & Devotional Works Greek & Non-Western Types Religion (17th Century)

Rare and important speech given in Goa in October 1641 on the occasion of the restauration
of Portuguese independence and the end of the Iberian Union

CRUZ, Manuel da. Fala que fes o P. Fr. Manoel da Crus, Mestre em S. Teologia, Deputado do S. Officio, & das Ordens Militares na segunda instancia, Vigairo Geral da Ordem dos Pregadores da India.
(Colophon:) Lisbon, Lourenço de Anveres for Andre Godinho, 1642. Small 4to (20 x 15 cm). With the woodcut crowned Portuguese coat of arms on the title page and 2 woodcut decorated initials. Later gold-tooled vellum. [1], [1 blank], [20], [2 blank] pp. Full description

€ 6,500

Broadsides & Pamphlets India & Sri Lanka Law & Politics Portugal Religion (17th Century)

Very rare series of 14 beautiful small engravings of the Apostles by Theodoor Galle,
re-published by his son Joan Galle

GALLE, [Theodoor and] Johannes. Levenschetsen van de twaalf apostelen.
[Antwerp, ca. 1640-1650]. Ca. 12.5 x 9.5 cm. With 14 engravings (ca. 9 x 6.5 cm) printed on fine vellum, in an oval with ornamented corners with subscriptions and number underneath, with protective tissue paper, bound with 17 paper leaves (ca. 11.5 x 8.5 cm) containing short and concise biographies of the apostles written in a neat 19th-century hand. 19th-century vellum over boards with the manuscript title on the spine ("Levens van de XII Apost. MS"). [17] ll. and 14 engravings on vellum. Full description

€ 2,500

Prints & Print Series Religion (17th Century)

An influential compilation of the works of Ramon Lull

LULL, Ramon. Opera ea quae ad adinventam ab ipso artem universalem, scientiarum artium que omnium brevi compendio, firmaq[ue] menmoria apprehendendarum, locupletissimaq[ue] vel oratione ex tempore pertractandarum, pertinent.
Strasbourg, sold by the heirs of Lazarus Zetzner, 1617.
With: (2) ALSTED, Johann Heinrich. Clavis artis Lullianae, et verae logices ...
Strasbourg, sold by the heirs of Lazarus Zetzner, 1633.
2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. With 3 folding letterpress tables, numerous woodcut diagrams in the text, a decorated woodcut initial at the start of each chapter, and a woodcut printer's device on the title-page. Contemporary vellum, sewn on 5 supports laced through the joints, with the manuscript title on the spine. [16], 1109, [39], [2 blank]; [8], 182; [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 3,500

Philosophy & Esotericism Religion (17th Century)

A French translation of Maffei's renowned description of the East and West Indies

MAFFEI, Giovanni Pietro. L'Histoire des Indes Orientales et Occidentales ...
Paris, Robert de Ninville, 1665. 2 volumes bound as 1. 4to. Each volume with a (different) woodcut coat-of-arms of France and Navarre on the title-page. Contemporary mottled calf, gold-tooled spine and board edges. [32], “353” [= 351], [1 blank]; [2], "292" [= 296], [24] pp. Full description

€ 1,250

Brazil Caribbean Islands China Church History & Missions Iran / Persia Japan & Far East Latin America Middle America Religion (17th Century) South America Southeast Asia

"Some of the most accurate information on China to be found in the first half of the seventeenth century"

PANTOJA, Diego de. Advis ... envoyé de Paquin cité de la Chine, au R.P. Loys de Gusman ... Sur le succes de la religion chrestienne au royaume de la Chine. De l'entree d'aucuns peres de ladire compagnie en la cour du roy, & de plusieurs choses memorables, qu'ils ont veu en ce païs.
Lyon, Pierre Rigaud, 1607. 12mo. Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment, remains of ties. [8], 145, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 19,000

China Jesuits Religion (17th Century)

First edition of the Jesuit annual letter reporting on Japan in 1601

PASIO, Francesco. Lettera annua di Giappone scritta nel 1601. e mandata dal P. Francesco Pasio V. Provinciale. al M.R.P. Claudio Acquaviva Generale della Compagnia di Giesù.
Rome, Luigi Zannetti, 1603. 8vo. With a woodcut Jesuit device on the title-page. Contemporary(?) sheepskin parchment wrappers, later (ca. 1900?) endpapers and paper reinforcing on the spine. 77, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 9,500

Japan & Far East Jesuits Religion (17th Century)

Very rare pamphlet devoted to Saint Francis Xavier and Christian missions in Asia

SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER (subject). Prodigioso milagre de S. Francisco Xavier. Saude restituida a Alexandre Philipuccio da Companhia de Jesu: em doze de Março de 1658.
Lisbon, Henrique Valente de Oliveira, 1659. Small 4to. With a decorated woodcut initial and a woodcut tailpiece. Contemporary limp vellum, with a later shelfmark label ("1353") mounted on the front. 20 pp. Full description

€ 6,850

Broadsides & Pamphlets China Church History & Missions Italy Japan & Far East Jesuits Religion (17th Century)

First edition of the biography of Gaspar Berse, "the Dutch Xavier", in the original Latin

TRIGAULT, Nicolas. Vita Gasparis Barzaei...
Antwerp, J. Trognesius, 1610. 8vo. With a woodcut vignette on the title page, some woodcut ornamental head- and tailpieces, and some woodcut decorated initials. Modern vellum. [1], [1 blank], [12], [2 blank], 338, [20], [2 blank] pp. Full description