Ainu Karisia Eiwange Gusu an Inonno-itak oma kambi. The Book of Common Prayer, translated into Ainu, by the Rev. John Batchelor (Church Missionary Society). 1896 (signed copy)

[Yokohama? : Bible Societles’ Committee for Japan?], 1896. Large octavo (215 x 150 mm), original blind-blocked black cloth, upper board with gilt lettering; speckled edges; front pastedown with previous Japanese owner’s bookplate; recto of first blank inscribed and signed by the author ‘J. M. Batchelor, March 9th 1940’; title-leaf in English; pp. [2], 417, [1] (blank); very occasional light spotting, a very fine example.

Scarce first edition of John Batchelor’s translation of the Book of Common Prayer in the Ainu language.

Englishman Rev. John Batchelor (1855-1944), of the Church Missionary Society, arrived in Hokkaido in 1877 and lived among the indigenous Ainu communities for more than sixty years. He was the first to develop a writing system for the Ainu language.

Not in Cordier, BJ

No sale record for the first edition traced in the Rare Book Hub database.