Mikalojus Daukša

The Missing Canvas is actively seeking an original copy of Mikalojus Daukša’s Postilla Catholicka, printed in Vilnius in 1599. It is one of the defining books of early Lithuanian printing and one of the most important Lithuanian-language works produced in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Daukša was a Catholic priest, humanist and one of the principal figures in the formation of Lithuanian written culture. Born in the Kėdainiai region sometime between 1527 and 1538, he served in the Diocese of Samogitia and died in 1613. He was highly educated, multilingual and known to have possessed a substantial personal library.

The Postilla Catholicka is Daukša’s Lithuanian translation of the smaller postil by the Polish Jesuit theologian Jakub Wujek. The substantial volume was printed in Vilnius in 1599 by the press of the Academy of the Society of Jesus. Four years earlier, the same press had issued Daukša’s Katechizmas of 1595, the earliest surviving Lithuanian-language book printed within the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Why this book matters

The 1599 Postilla is important not only as an early Lithuanian printed book, but also for Daukša’s famous Prakalba į malonųjį skaitytoją — the “Preface to the Benevolent Reader”. Written in Polish, the preface argues for the importance of the native language to a nation’s identity, unity and public life. It became one of the best-known statements in the history of Lithuanian language and culture.

Daukša’s translation also played an important role in the development of Lithuanian written language. Its vocabulary, style and scale make it one of the key monuments of sixteenth-century Lithuanian literature.

An exceptionally scarce Vilnius imprint

Only a handful of original copies are known today, with surviving examples concentrated in major Lithuanian collections and the Vatican Library. Published sources differ slightly on the exact number because of incomplete and separately catalogued examples, but there is no question that the 1599 edition is exceptionally scarce.

This scarcity makes any previously unrecorded copy, substantial fragment or old privately held example especially important. A copy that has remained in a family, ecclesiastical or aristocratic collection may also preserve ownership marks or provenance that are valuable in their own right.

What we are seeking

Our principal interest is an original 1599 Vilnius edition of Postilla Catholicka. We are interested in complete or substantially complete copies, incomplete copies, detached sections, individual leaves and fragments. Early bindings, manuscript notes, ownership inscriptions, bookplates, stamps and documented provenance are all of particular interest.

We would especially like to hear about examples that have remained in private collections, old family libraries, church collections or collections outside Lithuania and have not been fully documented in modern scholarship.

For a major original copy with good provenance, we are prepared to make a serious and competitive acquisition offer. Important incomplete material will also be considered. Enquiries can be handled quickly, discreetly and confidentially.

Related Daukša material

We also welcome information concerning any unrecorded copy, fragment or early provenance relating to Daukša’s Katechizmas of 1595. Only one complete copy of that edition is presently known, in Vilnius University Library.

Confidential enquiries

If you own, have seen, or know of an original Daukša book or fragment, we would be pleased to hear from you. Photographs of the title page, binding, inscriptions, ownership marks and any family or collection history are useful for an initial assessment. Information is welcome even if the owner is not currently considering a sale.