Baba-Yaga.

£650 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

Celebrated first edition of this folklore as told by Teffi. A wonderfully illustrated and large format children's book. Baba Yaga is a tale about the witch-like character of the same name who lives in the forest and frequently appears in Russian folklore tales. Since Alexander Afanaseev began to collect and publish fairy tales in the mid 19th century many numerous illustrated versions of Baba Yaga appeared but this émigré publication is of particular rarity and charm. Nathalie Parain (1897-1958) was born in Kyiv and was a student at the Imperial Academy of Arts until the Revolution of 1917 forced an end to her studies. She moved to Moscow in order to gain a state recognised art degree at Vkhutemas and it was here that under the direction of Petr Konchalovsky her artistic style veered towards the avant-garde. First edition; large 4to (32.2 x 28.4; 24pp.; illustrated throughout by Parain; original publisher's lithographed wrappers.

• Binding: Hardcover

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.