Browse | PY Rare Books

Image for BYRON & KOZLOV. Nevesta Abidosskaia [The Bride of Abydos]. First edition in Russian verse, Skt. Peterburg, 1826. #2

Byron's Turkish poem in Pushkin's Russia

[BYRON, George Gordon] Dzh.-G. BAIRON and Ivan KOZLOV (transl.)

Nevesta Abidosskaia. Turetskaia povest [The Bride of Abydos. A Turkish Story]

Smirdin, Skt Peterburg, 1826. £4,750

Very attractive copy of this rare work, the first translation in verse of Byron's 'Eastern poem'. Praised by contemporaries and influential, here retaining its original wrappers. Only 3 copies traced in WorldCat.

Image for [USSR: SIBERIA & FAR EAST]. Group of Four Unpublished Intelligence Reports. UK/USA, 1960s. #2

From a missile site and political discussions to the coldest city in the world and "a little alcohol"

A Group of Four Confidential Reports of British, American and Australian Diplomats in Siberia and the Russian Far East

, July 21-27, 1960; February 12-22, 1962; August 29 - September 9 [c. 1965]; August 8-12 [c. 1965-67]. £1,250

About 40 pp. of fantastic and confidential reading giving a detailed and open description of Siberia during the USSR, to Irkutsk, Khabarovsk and Yakutsk. A rare find, apparently unpublished.

Image for V. SIRIN [NABOKOV]. Invitation to a Beheading. First edition, original Russian. Paris, 1938. #2

Nabokov's political fiction

SIRIN, V. [pseud. for Vladimir NABOKOV]

Priglashenie na kazn [Invitation to a Beheading]

Dom Knigi, Parizh, 1938. £1,850

First ediion of Nabokov's last Russian novel printed in Paris, a work chosen by Radio Liberty to distribute clandestinely in USSR.

Image for S. ESENIN. Radnitsa. First edition, St. Petersburg, 1916. #2

Esenin's first published book

ESENIN, Sergei Aleksandrovich

Radunitsa [Ritual for the Dead]

M.V. Averianov, Petrograd, 1916. £2,500

First edition of this important book of poetry, Esenin's first offered for sale. In the original wrappers. Scarce: no copy traced in public institutions outside Russia.

Image for [BIBLE, Slavonic]. Evangelie [Gospels]. First edition under Catherine the Great. Complete. Moscow, 1762. #2

Catherine the Great's first Gospels, attractively bound

[BIBLE, Slavonic] – Vailei IKONNIKOV (engraver) and Semen VTOROV (artist)

Evangelie [Gospels]

[Sinod. Tip.], Moskva, November 1762. £8,500

Very rare, with no copy traced outside Russia, and only two there. First separate edition of the Church Slavonic Gospels published under Catherine's reign, illustrated, complete and in a lovely, fragile velvet binding.

Image for EPICTETUS, Enchiridion & Apothegms. CEBES, Tabula. First Russian edition, 1759. #2

Greek Stoicism in 18th-century Russia

EPIKTIT [EPICTETUS], Kevit Fiveiskii [CEBES of Thebes] and Grigorii POLETIKA (translator)

Epiktita stoicheskago filosofa Enkhiridion i Apofoegmy i Kevita Fiveiskago Kartina ili Izobrazhenie zhitiia chelovecheskago [Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher's Enchiridion and Apothegms; and The Picture, or a Representation of the Life of Man, by Cebes of Thebes]

Sanktpeterburg, Imp. Akad. nauk, 1759. £4,350

An important edition: the first of Epictetus and Cebes in Russia, and one of the first translations of Greek into Russian. Very rare: no copy traced outside Russia.

Image for CHAPPE d'AUTEROCHE. Voyage en Sibérie. First edition, in contemporary binding. Paris, 1768. #2

Attractive copy of this famous travel account

CHAPPE D’AUTEROCHE, Jean-Baptiste and Stepan Petrovich KRASHENINNIKOV

Voyage en Sibérie, fait par ordre du Roi en 1761; contenant les moeurs, les usages des Russes, et l'etat actuel de cette puissance [and] contenant la description du Kamchatka

Debure, Paris, 1768. £9,750

A very fresh copy of the first edition of one of the great French travels abroad, and a classic representative of French 18th-century publishing, with many artistic illustrations, engraved maps, and high quality printing. With a wealth of details on Russian, Siberia, the Russian Far East, including Kamchatka and the Northern Pacific.

Image for SRNEC, HORNY, CATO & COMENIUS. Adagia Bohemica, bound with Adagia Catonis. Prague, 1705. #2

Czech proverbs in your pocket

[SRNEC, Jakub] and Franciscus Andreas HORNY [bound with] CATO, Dionysius (?) and John Amos COMENIUS (translator)

Přísloví česká, Aneb Adagia Bohemica [BOUND WITH] Včení Dobrých Mrawu od Mudrce Katona wydané Aneb Moralia Catonis [Czech Proverbs, or Bohemian Adages [bound with] Learning Good Manners of the Wise Cato, published as Moralia Catonis]

Adalberti Georgij Konias, Pragae, 1705. £2,450

Attractive small volume, in fine condition, of these two very rare editions focusing on Czech proverbs, theatre, poetry and language. With fine provenances.

Image for POUCHKINE. Ruslan et Ludmila, première édition en vers, avec envoi, Paris, 1898. #2

Inscribed by the translator, a feminist character

[PUSHKIN] – Alexandre POUCHKINE, Véra STARKOFF (transl.) and Marie EGOROFF (artist)

Rouslane et Ludmile

Lafoyer, Vannes, for Librairie de l'art indépendant, Paris, 1898. £2,450

The first complete poetic French translation of Pushkin's celebrated work. Strikingly illustrated by an original Russian female artist, and this copy inscribed by the translator: a politically-engaged playwright and one of the main figures of the feminist theatre movement in France. Rarely found, and only 500 copies printed.

Image for Burliuk, Exter, Vasilieva, Livshits, Futuristy, inscribed, 1914 #1

Warmly inscribed by Burliuk

BURLIUK, David, Aleksandra EKSTER, Maria VASILIEVA (artists) and Benedict LIVSHITS (author)

Volchie solntse. Kniga stikhov vtoraia [v] "Futuristy" [Sun of wolves. Second book of poetry [in] "Futurists"]

Ekonomiia, Kherson, for Gileia, Kherson-Moskva, 1914. £2,950

First edition of this collection of futurist poetry, inscribed by Burliuk to "the best customer" Lev Grinkrug. A lovely book, finely illustrated with plates by Burliuk and two famous Russian avant-garde female artists: Exter and Vasilieva.

Image for Chagall's first book, first edition of his only children book, 1917 #1

Chagall's first book and a landmark of Yiddish book illustration

CHAGALL, Marc (artist) and Der NISTER [pseud. for Pinchus KAHANOVICH]

A Mayse mit a Hon; Dos Tsigele [A Story About a Rooster [and] The Little Goat]

Vilner farlag fun B.A. Kletskin, Petrograd, 1917. £22,500

Chagall's first illustrated book, his only children book, and a landmark of Yiddish book illustration, published the year of the Russian revolution. Very rare, especially in this very good condition: about 5 other copies known.

Image for N. PUNIN & P. MITURICH. Skaz gramotnykh detiam [Tale for Literate Children]. First edition of this very rare Russian children book; inscribed. Moscow, 1919 #2

Rare and fascinating avant-garde children book - inscribed

PUNIN, Nikolai and P[etr] MITURICH (artist)

Skaz gramotnykh detiam [Tale for Literate Children]

15aia Gos. tip. for Otdel izobr. iskusstv komissariata nar. prosv., [Moskva, 1919]. £7,500

A book like we love them: with many different interesting aspects, from the beautiful gold illlustrations, and the research principle at their source, to the 'missed propaganga' theme of the tale and the tragic fate of his author, Akhmatova's husband, who here added a fine handwritten inscription to the copy. Just fantastic.

Image for KONASHEVICH & SOLVEVA. Rozovaia azbuka. First edition, Petrograd, 1918 #2

ABC for the new regime - a rarity

KONASHEVICH, Vladimir (artist) and Evgeniia SOLOVEVA

Rozovaia azbuka [Rose (also Pink) ABC]

Golike i Vilborg, [Petrograd], 1918. £3,950

Only edition of this fine, large-format primer detailing the new Soviet orthography of Russian, illustrated by a master of the genre. A fragile production just after the Russian revolution, and a rare edition.

Image for I. BILIBIN. Sakzki [Six Volumes of Russian Folk Tales]. First editions. St. Petersburg, 1901-1903 #2

The epitome of the Russian children book

BILIBIN, Ivan (artist)

Skazki [Folk Tales]

Skt. Peterburg, Eksp. Zagotovl. Gos. Bumag, 1901-1903. £4,950

Fine, complete set of the six children books which made Bilibin's fame so long lasting. All in first edition, beautifully preserved.

Image for A. GRIBOEDOV. Gore ot Uma [Woe from Wit]. St. Petersburg, 1854. Rare small-format edition. #2

Wit in your pocket - with wrappers

GRIBOEDOV, Aleksandr

Gore ot uma. Komediia v chetyrekh deistviiakh, v stikhakh [Woe from Wit. A Comedy in Four Acts in Verse]

Tip. Shtaba Voenno-Uchebn. Zaved., Skt Peterburg, 1854. £2,500

Rare small-format edition of this famous masterpiece of Russian theatre, a lovely copy with its original wrappers. No copy traced in WorldCat.

Image for BLOK & ANNENKOV. Dvenadsta [The Twelve]. First edition. St. Petersburg, 1918. #2

"The best I've written"

BLOK, Aleksandr and Iurii ANNENKOV (artist)

Dvenadtsat [The Twelve]

Skt. Peterburg, 15aia Gos. Tip. for Alkonost, 1918. £6,500

Rare first edition of one of the best modernist books and a Russian 'livre d'artiste', published in the aftermath of the Revolution and WW1. One of 300 copies only, this one kept in its original printed wrappers.

From Sanskrit and Chinese, to Samaritan and Coptic

[TYPOGRAPHY]

Caratteri Orientali Esistenti nella Tipografia della R. Accad. dei Lincei

R. Accademia dei Lincei, Roma, 1889. £1,250

Extremely rare catalogue of oriental types used by the press of one of the most important scientific academy. In great condition - and only one other copy traced (in California).

Image for [FLOWERS - GAMES - ROMANOVS]. Oracles de Flore. From Tsarskoe Selo library. Paris, 1825 #2

From the Tsarskoe-Selo palace library

DEL., C. F. P. [Charles-François-Paul DELANGLARD or Charlotte de LATOUR]

Oracles de Flore

Paris, Janet, 1825. £1,950

A fine example of this lovely edition, here in fresh, attractive condition with Russian imperial provenance. With 36 flowers on 6 plates, with original hand-colour.

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