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Note: All the objects and pictures shown here are property of the 26 Martyrs Museum. Reproduction or use without consent is prohibited.
The Model of Christian Lady, Gracia Hosokawa
Gracia Hosokawa Oil painting by Yasuteru Ueda, 1961 Gracia Hosokawa (1563-1600) Her Japanese name was Tamako, and she was the daughter of Mitsuhide Akechi (who later killed Nobunaga). In 1579 she married Tadaoki Hosokawa. She received baptism in Osaka under the Christian name of "Gracia" in 1587. She had to endure many trials in her life, but she kept faithful to Christianity and her husband till her dead. She was well known by her virtue, intelligence and beauty. She was killed In Osaka in 1600, during the rebellion of Mitsunari Ishida.
We sell a card with this picture and a little poem written by her.
"Nagasaki" by J. Bellin, 1764
Very well preserved, this is a good document to know the geographical development of Nagasaki.
"St. Ignatius of Loyola", medal made out of Mother-of-pearl in Sakitsu, Amakusa. 17th. Century Very detailed carving, probably reproducing an European medal of the 17th. Century.
PIETA, attributed to Juan de Juni
PIETA Spanish woodcarving 16th Century Attributed to Juan de Juni (+1577)
Iruman Lorenzo
Iruman Lorenzo by Machida Gyokko Irmão Lorenço (Lorenzo, Lorenso) Brother Lorenço Ryôsai, a blind lute player (Biwa Hôshi) from Shiroishi, Hirado. Baptized by St. Francis Xavier in Yamaguchi (1551) he became the first Japanese Jesuit in Japan. Because of his deep Christian faith and nice talking style, he became an outstanding Missionary. He traveled all around the Country helping the Fathers as interpreter in preaching and religious disputations. After a humble and saintly life he died in Nagasaki in 1592.
Typus Orbis Terrarum, by A. Ortellius, Amsterdam 1592
Medals: Some description and comparison
The controversial "San Felipe" in scale
Before the persecution got stronger, medals; rosaries and relics were very popular in Japan. As they are devotional objects, there are not fixed rules in shape, design and material, but the medals of Our Lord Passion, Our Lady and the elliptical shape prove to be the most popular. As you can notice in the picture in the right, a new hole was opened instead of the former one, both of them showing how much this medal was used.
The European medal on the left has very clear clear shape in spite of being more than 300 years old. The Japanese one on the right shows diffuse shapes not because of the age (they are probably of the same time), but because it was made out of a former original, not extant. It seems that in Japan, they use the shape of European medals, take the shape out of it and re-filled with metal. Now, some of the recent studies show that the metal they used in Japan was not made in the Country, but imported.
The Death of St. Francis Xavier. Copper-plate printing, by Petrarca.
The image of St. Francis Xavier trying to enter into China, his lonely death in the Sain Shian Island was from the beginning one of the favorite themes of the numerous Xavier images. The beautifully one on the right was made by Petrarca in the 19th. Century, showing the actuality of the subject through the ages.
Bibliotheca Selecta, by A. Possevino, ed.1593
Very well preserved, this exemplar is a selection of text used in Catholic Doctrine teaching. This edition has a Latin translation of the "Catecismo" that Fr. Valignano composed for Japan.
Explanations by Renzo De Luca,sj
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