![PUSHKIN, Alexander (1799-1837). Povesti pokoinago Ivana Petrovicha Belkina, izdannyia A.P. [Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin, published by A.P.] St Petersburg: at the Pliushar Press, 1831.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2018/CKS/2018_CKS_17162_0020_001(pushkin_alexander_povesti_pokoinago_ivana_petrovicha_belkina_izdannyia103858).jpg?w=1)
![PUSHKIN, Alexander (1799-1837). Povesti pokoinago Ivana Petrovicha Belkina, izdannyia A.P. [Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin, published by A.P.] St Petersburg: at the Pliushar Press, 1831.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2018/CKS/2018_CKS_17162_0020_002(pushkin_alexander_povesti_pokoinago_ivana_petrovicha_belkina_izdannyia085736).jpg?w=1)
![PUSHKIN, Alexander (1799-1837). Povesti pokoinago Ivana Petrovicha Belkina, izdannyia A.P. [Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin, published by A.P.] St Petersburg: at the Pliushar Press, 1831.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2018/CKS/2018_CKS_17162_0020_000(pushkin_alexander_povesti_pokoinago_ivana_petrovicha_belkina_izdannyia103850).jpg?w=1)
Details
PUSHKIN, Alexander (1799-1837). Povesti pokoinago Ivana Petrovicha Belkina, izdannyia A.P. [Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin, published by A.P.] St Petersburg: at the Pliushar Press, 1831.
The first edition, with the original wrappers, of Pushkin's first collection of prose – 'the first stories of permanent artistic value in the Russian language' (Nabokov). RBH and ABPC record only two copies having sold at auction, only one of these with the original wrappers (the Diaghilev-Lifar copy, 30 November 1975, lot 588). The five stories are preceded by Pushkin's fictional introduction in which he pretends to be merely the publisher of these stories, rather than their author. They are 'a work of extreme artistic sophistication [...] distinguished by an extraordinary literariness' (Binyon). Binyon, Pushkin, London: 2002, pp.384-5; Kilgour 886; Nabokov, Eugene Onegin. Volume II: Commentary and Index, Princeton: 1990, p.180; Smirnov-Sokol'skii, Pushkin, 27.
Twelvemo (165 x 101mm). With the half-title and with the errata (scattered light spotting throughout). Contemporary Russian half leather with the original printed wrappers bound in, flat spine gilt, red morocco label (spine neatly repaired; corners rubbed). Provenance: Aleksei Vasil'evich Bartenev (blind-stamp on the half-title).
The first edition, with the original wrappers, of Pushkin's first collection of prose – 'the first stories of permanent artistic value in the Russian language' (Nabokov). RBH and ABPC record only two copies having sold at auction, only one of these with the original wrappers (the Diaghilev-Lifar copy, 30 November 1975, lot 588). The five stories are preceded by Pushkin's fictional introduction in which he pretends to be merely the publisher of these stories, rather than their author. They are 'a work of extreme artistic sophistication [...] distinguished by an extraordinary literariness' (Binyon). Binyon, Pushkin, London: 2002, pp.384-5; Kilgour 886; Nabokov, Eugene Onegin. Volume II: Commentary and Index, Princeton: 1990, p.180; Smirnov-Sokol'skii, Pushkin, 27.
Twelvemo (165 x 101mm). With the half-title and with the errata (scattered light spotting throughout). Contemporary Russian half leather with the original printed wrappers bound in, flat spine gilt, red morocco label (spine neatly repaired; corners rubbed). Provenance: Aleksei Vasil'evich Bartenev (blind-stamp on the half-title).
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