Chronicas de la Apostolica Provincia de S. Gregorio de religiosos descalzos de N.S.P.S. Francisco en las Islas Philipinas, China, Japon, &c. Parte Prima [Parte Segunda / Parte Tercera]

Manila : Impressa en la imprenta del uso de la propria provincia, síta en el Convento de Nr̄a. Señora de Loreto del Pueblo de Sampaloc, Extra-muros de la Ciudad de Manila; por fr. Juan del Sotillo, 1738, 1741, 1744. Three volumes, folio, contemporary vellum, spines lettered in black ink with fleuron decoration, shelf marks to foot of spines; pp [64], 782, [42] ; [30], 579, [64] ; [38], 839, [113]; title pages printed in red and black and set within decorative borders; volumes one and two with vignette engravings at head of text, volume three with full-page frontispiece engraving of the Japanese martyrs of 1597; historiated initials; side notes; ownership inscription at foot of third volume “Es de la Lib[reri]a Conv[en]to del S[an]to Angel de Alcala, se puso en ella siendo Guard[ia]n Fr. Fran[cis]co de Navarrete, Pred[icad]or”, several pen trials on the flyleaf of the first volume; due to a binding error signature Gggg in volume 3 bound in duplicate and Gggg2 omitted, presented here in expert facsimile barely discernible from the rest of the text, a fine set.

Rarely offered as a complete set, this critically important work provides a comprehensive history of the Spanish Franciscan missions in the Philippines from their beginnings in the sixteenth century up until 1741. The first volume contains a detailed general history and an accurate physical geography of the Islands, including the story of their conquest by the Spanish and descriptions of the indigenous peoples. The first two volumes also provide accounts of the earliest Spanish missionaries to visit Macao, China, Cochinchina, Borneo, the Malaccas and the Pacific. The third volume is devoted to the Spanish missions in Japan, and contains a superb engraved plate depicting the martyrdom by crucifixion of the Franciscan missionary San Pedro Bautista and his companions in 1597.

Pardo de Tavera, Biblioteca Filipina, 2487; Medina, Manila, 202; Palau, 289961; Sabin, 75987; Cordier, Japonica, 434

Provenance:

Sotheby’s London, Atlases, Travel and Natural History, 15th April 1988, lot 356 (GBP £19,250)