Japan.- Christian persecution.- Trigault (Nicolas) De Christianis apvd Iapanios trivmphis sive de gravissima ibidem contra Christi fidem persecvtione exorta anno MDCXII vsq. ad annvm MDC XX libri qvinq, first edition, fine engraved title depicting St. Francis Xavier and St. Ignatius Loyola with angels above, 17 full-page engraved illustrations depicting the torture and execution of Christians in Japan (that on Qq1 with revised engraving mounted over original), final privilege f. with engraved printer's device verso, D1 lower blank corner torn away, Gg4 marginal tear at foot, foxing, mostly lightly browned throughout, recased in contemporary limp vellum, modern black ink ms. title to spine, lacking ties, some staining to lower cover, [Cordier BJ 295; Streit V, 1305; De Backer & Sommervogel, VIII, 242.8], small 4to, Munich, Rader & Raphael Sadeler, 1623.

⁂ Rare first edition of this graphically illustrated account of the persecution of Christians in Japan from 1612 to 1620; a period during which Japan closed itself off from the rest of the world and entirely suppressed Christianity. Nicolas Trigault was a member of the Jesuit mission to China, which he had joined in 1610. His account of this was the first detailed work on that empire published in Europe. In 1618, just before his departure for China, he completed four books concerning the triumphs of the Christians in the recent persecutions in Japan, to which he added a fifth book whilst in Goa, which brought the narrative up to 1616. The work was printed in 1623, with additional text filling in the years from 1617-20 and adding a list of 268 Japanese martyrs. The graphic illustrations show the torture and executions of Christians.