Lot Essay
Zaumnaya Kniga represents the very best in Russian futurism. It is innovative, highly colourful, incorporates bold aggessive linocuts, is printed on a variety of pleasing papers and is decorated with cut-out paper collage.
Copies of Zaumaya Kniga rarely follow the same format. However, the common denominators of the standard edition are the heart and button collage on the front of the standard edition cover, the rubber-stamped text and the playing card linocuts printed in a rich array of brightly coloured inks. A deluxe edition also exists which incorporates an extra collage by Rozanova on the first page. Despite any minor differences in layout or page configuration a general format is followed in these editions. However, the present copy is so much richer in illustration than either the standard or deluxe versions that we have called it super-illustrated; besides incorporating very fine impressions of the linocuts, the book also includes a pink collage on the front cover replacing the heart, two pages from Rozanovas celebrated Te li le of 1914, a wonderful collage of sky blue, pink and cream papers that we have never previously seen and a collage by Alexander Rodchenk which normally appears in deluxe copies of Zaumniki of 1922 (see lot ? ). These extra illustrations replace Kruchenykh's text.
It would be pure speculation to suggest why or by whom this copy was put together. It is undoubtedly a very fine item with work by arguably the greatest three contributors to Russian futurist book production. No other copy of this format has been seen by us before.
The book survives in very good condition
Copies of Zaumaya Kniga rarely follow the same format. However, the common denominators of the standard edition are the heart and button collage on the front of the standard edition cover, the rubber-stamped text and the playing card linocuts printed in a rich array of brightly coloured inks. A deluxe edition also exists which incorporates an extra collage by Rozanova on the first page. Despite any minor differences in layout or page configuration a general format is followed in these editions. However, the present copy is so much richer in illustration than either the standard or deluxe versions that we have called it super-illustrated; besides incorporating very fine impressions of the linocuts, the book also includes a pink collage on the front cover replacing the heart, two pages from Rozanovas celebrated Te li le of 1914, a wonderful collage of sky blue, pink and cream papers that we have never previously seen and a collage by Alexander Rodchenk which normally appears in deluxe copies of Zaumniki of 1922 (see lot ? ). These extra illustrations replace Kruchenykh's text.
It would be pure speculation to suggest why or by whom this copy was put together. It is undoubtedly a very fine item with work by arguably the greatest three contributors to Russian futurist book production. No other copy of this format has been seen by us before.
The book survives in very good condition