THE THIRD OR FOURTH BOOK PRINTED IN SOUTH AMERICA. ACOSTA, JOSEPH DE. Tercero Cathecismo y Expos...

THE THIRD OR FOURTH BOOK PRINTED IN SOUTH AMERICA. ACOSTA, JOSEPH DE. Tercero Cathecismo y Exposicion de la Doctrina Christiana, por Sermones. Ciudad de los Reyes [Lima]: Por Antonio Ricardo, 1585. Small 4to (192 x 142 mm). Woodcut vignette to title, woodcut headpieces and initials. Holograph signature of the editor to title page (effaced) beneath 'Concuerda conel original.' Later vellum, title page repaired and backed in silk, repair to verso title page heading 'ERRATA' supplied in ink, staining, additional repairs throughout with some loss, lacking 11 leaves: FF1-8, LL8-MM1, and final leaf DDD7; duplicates of VV2-5 bound in at LL8-M1. Provenance: Paul Schmidtchen (armorial bookplate, motto 'TAXIS KAI KOSMOS'); bookseller's description for this copy pasted over top of bookplate. FIRST EDITION OF THE EXCESSIVELY RARE THIRD (OR FOURTH) BOOK PRINTED IN SOUTH AMERICA, printed by the first printer in South America Antonio Ricardo, and seemingly preceded only by two books for which this work provides the Sermones, Doctrina Christiana y catecismo para instruccion de los Indios and the Confessionario. Ricardo first printed in Mexico beginning in 1577. He arrived in Peru in 1581, but his permission was not granted until the Third Council of Lima (1582-3) ordered the production of a catechism in Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. Ricardo was granted the order and produced the Doctrina Christiana in 1584, and these sermons the following year. The work is of enormous importance in printing, as well as early South American ethnography and linguistics. A rarity of early American printing, seldom found complete. Medina (Lima) 3; Palau 330311; Sabin 94838. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing