Avant-garde and propaganda's early days: the English version of this celebration of one of most striking Russian artists and designers.
TCHAIKOV, Joseph (artist) and Mendele MOCHER-SFORIM
Dos Kelbl [The Calf]
A fine illustrated production of the Kultur Lige, published in Kiyv in 1919. A scarce Yiddish children book, especially unopened without significant restoration.
ESENIN, Sergei, with Boris PASTERNAK, Andrei BELII et al
Iav. Stikhi [Reality. Poems]
Exceptional association copy of these scandalous Russian imaginist poems, extensively inscribed by three co-authors – including Esenin - to a fourth one, Alexander Olenin. With Aristarkh Lentulov's striking cover bound in a very unusual cloth-and-wicker binding of the time. One of the best, if not the best example of this famous book of Russian poetry.
A strking poster calling to save the historical monuments and works of art in the midst of a bloody and damaging civil war.
TUROVA, E[katerina] (artist) and Natan VENGROV
Khvoi [Conifers]
An attractive avant-garde Russian children book, here in the preferred version with original colour, one of only 125 copies.
![Image for [SOVIET ART]. Graphic Art by Students of the Moscow Proletkult Workshop. First edition. Moscow, 1922. #2](https://www.pyrarebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3236_1-300x399.jpg)
SOKOLOV, [Ilia], [Aleksandr] ZUGRIN, [Fedor] SMIRNOV, and other artists
Grafika studiitsev masterskoi moskovskogo Proletkulta [Graphic Art by Students of the Moscow Proletkult Workshop]
10 artists and 20 linocuts for this only issue of the works of an important early Soviet artistic organisation. Very rare, with only 2 other copies traced, none in institutions.
ANNENKOV, Iurii (author and artist)
1/4 deviatago [1/4 Past Eight]
Fresh example of this innovative Russian children book, wholly conceived and created by Annenkov. Scarce first edition.
![Image for [AVANT-GARDE] Catalogue of Third Exhibition of Paintings, Tbilisi, 1920. #2](https://www.pyrarebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2882_1-300x391.jpg)
PIROSMANI, Niko, Kirill ZDANEVICH, Lado GUDIASHVILI and other artists
Me-3e suratebis gamopena, ivnisi-ivlisi 1920 ts. 3-ia vystavka kartin, iiun-iiul 1920 g [Third Exhibition of Paintings, June-July 1920]
Bilingual catalogue (Georgian Russian) of the largest exhibition of Georgian and Russian avant-garde artists in Tbilisi, listing almost 50 artists. Extremely rare with only 3 other copies traced.
Fine copy of this first edition, rarely found as no copies traced at auction. The first publication by the talented Ukrainian artist, mixing abstract and cubism in the beautiful and striking pochoir technique integrating shining silver.
GONCHAROVA, Natalia (artist) and Alexander RUBAKIN
Gorod. Stikhi. La Cité [The City. Poems]
An excellent example from the 25 copies on china paper ('tirage de tête'), in a binding by one of the best French binders. First edition of this great Russian avant-garde book, finely produced in Paris and showing a wealth of illustrations by Goncharova.
[RODCHENKO, Aleksandr (artist)] and Aleksei KRUCHENYKH
Miatezh. Kniga IX [Mutiny. Book IX]
Extremely rare work of the Russian avant-garde, with a unique collage by Rodchenko and Kruchenykh's surrealist poem-tale of "the American Goat". One of about 10 copies only, with just another one traced, in Moscow's State Library.
Fine copy of this uncommon propaganda poster from the Soviet Union's early days and showing a stack of books which could well be antiquarian ones!
A great poster we like especially, for its design and its message of course, in particular in a country where libraries have suffered so much, with books destroyed, stolen, badly stamped or stored... Published in the midst of the civil war. One of our favorites!
GONTCHAROVA [Natalia GONCHAROVA] and LARIONOW [Mikhail LARIONOV] (artists), and Valentin PARNAKH
L'Art décoratif théâtral moderne
Fine complete copy of the first, limited edition. With beautiful plates by the two Russian avant-garde artists working for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in Paris, some of these illustrations large and strikingly colourful.