This particular account on Chinese cults, known as the De cultu sinensis, was authored in 1668 and published posthumously. It was written by Prosper Intorcetta (1625-1696), who embarked on a journey to China in 1656 alongside Father Martini and a group of fifteen other priests who were engaged in missionary work in the province of Jiangxi. Intorcetta, who assumed the Chinese name of In-to-tsé and the nickname of Koi-ssé, was imprisoned in Canton in 1664. After his initial release, he managed to travel to Rome in 1671 to witness the fate of his fellow missionaries, before being arrested again in 1690. Alongside his work on the translation and study of Confucius' classics, for which he proposed a complete translation, the present work played a crucial role in the establishment of the subject of sinology in Europe, as it dates back to the early years of missionary presence in China. Furthermore, it contributed to enhancing understanding of the Chinese language. The De cultu sinensis was a response to the concerns raised by Domenico Navarette, a Spanish Dominican archbishop and missionary who served in Mexico, the Philippines, and later in China. Navarette strongly opposed certain Chinese rituals, and Intorcetta's book addresses this contentious issue.
With the large oval black owner's stamp of Cardinal Jean-Marie Gabriel on the title-page and page 5, a manuscript owner's inscription in brown ink "Bibliotheca J. Pudentiana" on the title page and with a small manuscript annotation ("J. Pud.") on the front board. With some offsetting from the manuscript owner's incription in the first free flyleaf and a small paper repair to the bottom margin of the title-page, without affecting the text. Slightly browned throughout, otherwise in very good condition. Cordier, Sinica, 884; Sommervogel, IV, 642, no.6; WorldCat 18792180 (12 copies).