Religion & Devotion / Jesuits

[JESUITS]. INTORCETTA, Prospero. R.P. Prosperi Intorcetta societatis Jesu missionarii sinensis testimonium de cultu sinensi, datum anno 1668.
Paris, Nicolas Pepié, 1700. 8vo. With a small woodcut ornamental vignette on the title-page and some head- and tail-pieces built up from typographical ornaments Contemporary vellum. [2], 318, [10] pp. Full description

[JESUITS - JAPAN]. Cartas que los Padres y Hermanos de la Compañia de Iesus, que andan en los Reynos de Iapon ...
Alcalá [der Henares], Spain, Juan Iniguez de Lequerica, 1575. 4to in 8s. With woodcut of the Crucifixion on verso of the colophon (2R4v), woodcut Japanese characters in the text (I8v), and woodcut decorated initials throughout. Contemporary limp vellum, with ties. [6 (of 8)], 315, [5] ll. Full description

KIRCHER, Athanasius. Tooneel van China.
Amsterdam, Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge and the widow of Elizaeus Weyerstraten, 1668. Folio. With engraved frontispiece, engraved author's portrait, 24 engraved plates (including 2 double-page maps and 1 folding plate) and 60 engraved illustrations in text (plus another copy on a separate leaf, without letterpress text, of the engraving on 2F3v). Including maps of China and Asia, traditional Chinese costumes, illustrations of the Chinese and the Mughal rulers in abundantly decorated rooms, linguistic illustrations, zoological illustrations, etc. Contemporary gold-tooled calf, later endpapers (re-cased). [12], 286, [10] pp. Full description

KIRCHER, Athanasius. Ars magna sciendi, in XII libros digesta, qua nova & universali methodo ... [vol. 2 half-title:] Artis magnae seu combinatoriae sciendi, ... [titles on the frontispieces:] Ars magna sciendi sive combinatoria [vol. 1] Artis magnae combinatoriae [vol. 2].
Amsterdam, Johannes Janssonius van Waesberge and the widow of Elizaeus Weyerstraten, 1669. 2 volumes bound as 1. Royal folio (46 x 30 x 5.5 cm). With 2 richly engraved allegorical frontispieces, an engraved plate with a full-page portrait of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I, an engraved plate showing all knowledge of the universe organised as a tree, 2 engraved volvelles (with 4 rotating dials), 20 further engravings on integral leaves and a couple dozen woodcut figures in the text. Contemporary richly gold-tooled red goatskin morocco decorated a petit fers, gold-tooled turn-ins, board edges and raised bands, giving a total of more than 1500 impressions of about 14 stamps and 3 rolls, edges gilt over red and blue squiggles. Janssonius van Waesberge, who published Kircher's books in Amsterdam from 1664/65 to 1682, arranged to have copies of several luxuriously bound for Kircher to present to leading figures and this is almost certainly one of them, presented to Giovanni Paolo Oliva, Superior General of the Jesuit Society. [18], 482, [10] pp. (including 2 integral frontispieces), plus 4 inserted tables & 2 plates. Full description

LAFITEAU, Joseph-François. De zeden der wilden van Amerika. Zynde een nieuwe uitvoerige en zeer kurieuse beschryving van derzelver oorsprong, godsdienst, manier van oorlogen, huwelyken, opvoeding, oeffeningen, feesten, danzeryen, begravenissen, en andere zeldzame gewoonten.
The Hague, Gerard vander Poel, 1731. 2 volumes bound as 1. Folio. With engraved frontispiece, engraved map of North and South America and 41 engraved plates. Contemporary calf, richly gold-tooled spine. [6], 36, [18], 300; [4], 301-555 [= 560] pp. Full description

LOPEZ, Gregorio. Lettera annua della Provincia delle Filippine dell' anno M.DC.VIII.
Rome, Bartolomeo Zanetti, 1611. Small 8vo (16 x 11.5 cm). 18th-century limp sheepskin parchment. 124, [2 blank] pp. Full description

LUCINO, Luigi Maria. Esame, e difesa del decreto publicato in pudisceri da monsignor Carlo Tommaso di Tournonpatriarcha d'Antiochia, commissario, e visitatore apostolico, con Podesta do legato a letere delle Indie Orientali, Impero della Cina, e Isole adjacenti. Di poi Cardinale della S. R. Chiesa.
Rome, nella stamperis Vaticana, 1729. 4to. With with the title-page printed in red and black, showing an engraved printer's device, engraved initials and head- and tail-pieces, 3 full-page and one folding engraving, with the second and third coloured by hand. Contemporary parchment, spine lettered in gold, blue edges. LXIII, 492, [2] pp. Full description

MAFFEI, Giovanni Pietro. Historiarum Indicarum Libri XVI.
Antwerp, Martinus Nutius, 1605.
With: (2) [MAFFEI, Giovanni Pietro]. Ignatii Loiolae vita, postremo recognita.
Antwerp, Martinus Nutius, 1605. 2 works in 1 volume (the first in 2 parts). 8vo. Contemporary vellum, remains of ties. [72], 478, [2 blank]; 401, [7]; 152, [12] pp. Full description

MAFFEI, Giovanni Pietro. l'Histoire des Indes Orientales et Occidentales ...
Paris, Robert de Ninville, 1665. 2 volumes bound as 1. 4to. Contemporary vellum. [32], “353” [= 351], [1 blank]; [2], "292" [= 296], [24] pp. Full description

MAFFEI, Joan Petro. Historiarum Indicarum libri XVI. Selectarum, item, ex India epistolarum libri IV...
Antwerp, Martinus Nutius, 1605. 8vo. With woodcut device on title-page and woodcut initials. Contemporary vellum with faint manuscript title on spine and a small gilt-stamped rooster in the centre of the boards, remains of ties. [72], 478, [2 blank]; 401, [7] pp. Full description