Brevis Iapaniae insulae descriptio,

à Patribus Societatis Iesu nuper gestarum, succincta narratio : item, insigne quoddam martyrium, quod in Aphrica quidam pro Christiana religione Catholica inuicta constantia subijt. Coloniae Agrippinae [i.e. Köln] : Birckmann, 1582. Duodecimo (157 x 100 mm), modern gilt-panelled red morocco with gilt dentelles; title leaf with woodcut device, and with early ownership inscriptions; [2], 46 leaves; a fine, clean copy.

Rare early description of Japan based on letters written between 1577 and 1580 by the Portuguese Jesuit missionaries Luís Fróis, Francisco de Castro, and Francisco Cabral, and the Italian Jesuit Gnecchi-Soldi Organtino.

Cordier, BJ 72; Alt-Japan-Kat. 408; Streit, R. Bib. missionum, 4:1593; not in De Backer/Sommervogel.

Only one sale record in the Rare Book Hub database since 1936.

Provenance:

H. P. Kraus, his book label to front pastedown

Private collection Tokyo, acquired from the above circa 1980.