RARO ED IMPORTANTE EDITTO IN LACCA ED INCHIOSTRO SU TAVOLA, GIAPPONE DATATO 1682emanato dallo Shogun Tokugawa per indicare le rpense promesse a chi individuasse i cristiani nascosti nel XVII secolo.Misure cm. 46 x 70 x 3.A LAQUER AND INK ON WOOD EDICT. EDO PERIOD (1603-1868). DATED 168246 x 70 x 3 cm.NOTICE BOARD WITH ANTI-CHRISTIAN EDICT高札（訴人褒賞令）The system of reward for accusers was a strong way to persecute Christian Missionaries and believers.Anti-Christian edicts started to be issued in 1587 under the rule of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. For some years they were not rigorously enforced everywhere, but in 1614 the Tokugawa Shogunate started a general persecution of Christianity and decrees were regularly erected at bridge entrances or road intersections. To locate hidden Christians and Missionaries, the Shogunate established a system of reward for the accuser.Starting from the Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638), this method spread all over the country, increasing the amount of money offered as the persecution got tighter. It continued till the end of the Edo period, and even into the new Meiji Government, when international pressure from Western Nations establishing diplomatic relations with Japan resulted in the ban to be finally lifted with the permanent removal of all notice boards on February the 10th 1873.This edict board was mounted on a post in 1682. Its specific importance, besides being amongst the very few early examples which survived until the present day, lies in the article about the accuser against the Tachikaeri Mono (Returners to the Christian faith) that seems to have been added from this edict on:「立かへり者の訴人　　　同断」'the same amount (300 silver coins) for the accuser against a Tachikaeri Mono (Returner)'.In regard to the rewards, for a long time, one silver unit was the equivalent to 43 momme. In terms of rice price in those days, until 1674, one koku (150 kg or approximately five bushels) of rice was worth 60 momme.So, if someone accused a Priest, he would be given a reward of 21,500 momme, about 358 koku (53,750 kg.). Even from a present-day perspective, we can see it was a very high amount of money for the accuser.ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE EDICTThere are established by law.The Christian faith has been prohibited for a long time. If you catch a suspicious person, you should send notice to the authorities.As a reward, we offer 500 silver coins for the accuser against a Bateren (a corrupt word of Padre in Portuguese: Priest),300 silver coins for the accuser against a Iruman (a corrupt word of Irmão in Portuguese: Religious Brother),The same amount: 300 silver coins for the accuser against a Tachikaerimono (Returner),100 silver coins for the accuser against a Dojuku (acolyte or catechist) or a Christian.We issue orders as mentioned. Even if the accuser is a Dojuku or a Christian, he (or she) will receive t