Art | PY Rare Books

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

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 E. LISSNER. Sister Fox and the Wolf, a Tale. Russian children book, first edition, Moscow, 1902. #2

The Fox and the Wolf in beautiful images

LISSNER, Ernest (artist)

Skazka o lisichke-sestrichke i volke [Tale of Sister Fox and the Wolf]

Lissner, Moskva, [ca. 1902]. £1,450

Scarce, large-format Russian children book of Bilibin's time; a lovely copy in attractive condition.

Image for N.B. [BOGATOV] and PEROV. Russian Types. Chromolithographs, first edition; Moscow, 1889. #2

No other set traced

N.B. [presumably Nikolai Alekseevich BOGATOV] and Vasilii PEROV (artists)

Russkie tipy [Russian types]

Kushnerev i Ko, Moskva, [ca. 1889]. £375

Lovely set of depictions of various peoples of the Rusisan empire, most probably published for the Paris 'Exposition Universelle'. Of great rarity, as we couldn't find any other example. With (most of) the original printed envelope.

Image for PUSHKIN & ALEXEIEFF. Récits de Ivan Bielkine. First edition thus, Maestricht & Bruxelles, 1929/1930. #2

With some of the best plates of Alexeieff

ALEXEIEFF, Alexandre et Alexandre POUCHKINE [PUSHKIN]

Les Récits de Feu Ivan Pétrovitch Bielkine

Boosten et Stols, Maestricht, pour Stols, Maestricht et Bruxelles, 1930 [mais Septembre 1929]. £600

Pleasant example, fresh internally, of this famous production of Alexeieff illustrating Pushkin. First edition with these illustrations. One of the "few copies" not for sale.

Image for [ROMANOVS] Childhood, Education and Young Years of the Russian Tsars. First edition, in the original Russian. Skt. Peterburg, 1914. #2

With the gilt cover in fine condition

[ROMANOVS] – Ivan Nikolaevich BOZHERIANOV

Detstvo, vospitanie i leta iunosti russkih imperatorov [Childhood, Education and Young Years of Russian Emperors]

Benke, Skt. Peterburg, [1914]. £4,250

Pleasant and attractive example of this great book, a luxurious, richly illustrated production presenting the childhood of the Romanov tsars over 200 years. First edition, scarce in such condition.

Image for BOTKIN. Sobranie. First edition of his art collection. St. Petersburg, 1911. #2

One of the great art collections in the world

BOTKIN, Mikhail Petrovich

Sobranie M.P. Botkina [The Collection of M.P. Botkin]

Skt. Peterburg, Golike i Vilborg, [1911]. £3,950

Lavish catalogue of this amazing art collection, now in the best museums of Russia. With more than 100 plates showing items from Byzantine, French, Italian, Caucasian cultures among others. A pleasant example of this volume, now very rarely seen on the market.

Image for G. GAGARIN. Byzantine and Russian ornaments. First edition, in Russian, St. Petersburg, 1887. #2

Ancient ornaments to enlighten modern architecture

GAGARIN, Prince Grigorii Grigorevich

Sbornik vizantiiskikh i drevne-russkikh ornamentov

Stauf and Khromolit. Stadler i Pattinot, Skt. Peterburg, 1887. £1,500

The luxuriously crafted first edition of Prince Gagarin's study of medieval Russian and Byzantine ornaments, mostly taken from manuscripts and architectural landmarks. A complete copy.

Image for SARYKULOVA. Grafika Kazakhstana. First edition, Antoshchenko-Olenev's copy. Alma-Ata, 1967. #2

Kazakh art by a woman art historian - with provenance

SARYKULOVA, Gul-Chara [Abutalipovna]

Grafika Kazakhstana [Graphic art of Kazakhstan]

Izd. 'Nauka' Kaz. SSR ['Nauka' publishing house of the Kazakh SSR], Alma-Ata, 1967. £1,750

A groundbreaking work on art from Kazakhstan, written by a major female figure of Kazakh art history - this copy with great artistic provenance. First edition, uncommon, a choice copy.

Image for N. CHAKIROV. Tsars' coronations & history of the Russian empire. First edition, New York, 1971. #2

In bright condition

CHAKIROV, Nikita (editor)

Tsarskie koronatsii na Rusi iz Istorii Derzhavy Rossiiskoi XVI-XX vv. The history of the Russian Empire

Printed in Japan for the Russian Orthodox Youth Committee, New York, 1971. £950

Fine, fresh example of this luxurious book, which covers the Romanovs' dynasty with an impressive array of illustrations. First edition.

Image for PICASSO, GONCHAROVA, LARIONOV etc. Grand Bal Travesti - Transmental. First edition, Paris, 1923. #2

The complete set

LARIONOV, M[ikhail], Nataliia GONCHAROVA, Ilia ZDANEVICH, [Pablo] PICASSO and others

Grand Bal Travesti / Transmental [Programme, Ticket and Handbill]

Francois Bernouard for Union des Artistes Russes, Paris, 1923. £1,950

Lovely gathering of three 'ephemera' items produced for the first Russian ball of the avant-garde in Paris - an eclectic show with music and dances in newly designed costumes. With Larionov's ticket, Goncharova's handbill and the famous programme with many artistic contributions.

Image for NASH VESTNIK. Manuscript magazine, unique copy. Soviet Union, 1921-23. #2

Fun, absurd, art and sport in the first years of the URSS

BABKIN K., M. NEKRASOV, A. ALEKSANDROV, V. SVETLISHIN and others

Nash Vestnik. Literaturno-sportivnyi zhurnal Kruzhka Fizicheskogo Razvitiia KFR [Our Newsletter. Literary and Sports Magazine of the Physical Development Club]

Vyshnii Volochek, Kruzhok Fizicheskogo Razvitiia KFR, 1921-23. £13,500

Exceptional manuscript describing sporting and other recreative activities in a small town of Russia immediately after the Civil War. A very entertaining read, mixing much information with humour and many illustrations.

Image for COCTEAU & IRIBE. Vaslav Nijinsky. First edition, Paris, 1910. #2

Art-deco elegance at its best

IRIBE, Paul (artist) and Jean COCTEAU

Vaslav Nijinsky

Société Générale d'Impression, Paris, [1910]. £1,500

Excellent example of this classic celebration of the star of Diaghilev's Ballets russes. First edition.

Image for Gd Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich ROMANOV. Musical Sketches, Potpurri. Manuscript, 1888. #2

La Marseillaise, European operas, and romantic Russian songs

[ROMANOV, Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich] – TSVETKOV M. and Vasilii KITAEV (artist)

Muzykalnyia stsenki. Popuri [Musical Sketches. Potpourri]

Skt. Peterburg, [8 November] 1888. £8,750

An interesting compilation of various international and Russian music, all manuscript, with a lovely watercolour title page and all kept in a refined master binding: a very attractive imperial portfolio made for the Grand Duke. Very rare.

Image for [TRETYAKOV GALLERY] Very rare portfolio, Geneva, 1890s. #2

No other copy traced

[RUSSIAN ART] –

Khudozhestvennaia galereia P. i S. Tretiakovykh [The Art Gallery of P. and S. Tretyakov]

Tov. 'Kooperativniy izdatel', Geneve, [early 1890s]. £1,500

Fine, high-quality production showing some of the most famous Russian paintings. An extremely rare Geneva publication.

Image for L. BAKST. Feia kukol. First edition of the postcards, 1904. #2

Charming ballet costumes in postcards

BAKST, Leon

Feia kukol [La Fée des poupées]

Ilin, Skt. Peterburg, 1904. £2,750

A complete set of these lovely postcards showing ballet costumes by the master of the genre, who would later be central to Diaghilev's 'Ballets Russes'.