Rybolovnichki. Narodnye Pesenki [Fishing Nets. Folk Songs].

A fine example of Soviet folk art.

Afanasiy Kulikov was in born in Moscow in 1884 to a peasant family and began apprenticeships at the age of 12, first at a weavers and then at an icon painters. From 1906 to 1912 he studied at the Moscow School of Painting and Architecture where he was taught by Serov and Arkhipov. After the Revolution he was employed in various roles which straddled folk art and propaganda. This collision of styles meant that he was a pioneer in a new genre and founded the Soviet school of lubki. As with Arkhipov, who was also from a peasant background and learnt from icon painters, Kulikov's illustrations have an affinity with traditional Russian art and fabric designs.

Iakov Meksin (1886-1943) was an author, publisher and editor. He played a dominant role in the overall direction of education and pedagogical literature in the Soviet Union. In 1934 he founded the Museum of Children's Books until he was arrested in 1938 as part of Stalin's purges and the museum was liquidated. He was rehabilitated in 1956 but sadly died in captivity in 1943.

First edition, 8vo (23 x 19.5 cm); 10pp., illustrated throughout after Kulikov; original printed wrappers, a fine copy.