Tsvetaeva, Marina.

first edition, 8vo (155 x 120mm.), inscribed and signed with initials by Tsvetaeva and with autograph corrections, in her characteristic mauve ink, original boards with printed label on upper cover, some pages slightly browned

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Signed editions of Tsvetaeva are of the utmost rarity. This copy is inscribed to Muna Bulgakova, daughter of the priest and theologian Sergei Bulgakov, and given to mark her first visit to her home in Prague: "Dorogoi Mune Bulgakovoi/-----pora-- vzamen 'Remesla'/MTs./Praga 5go Noyabra 1923g/Segodnya ya v perviy raz u vas v Dome). With corrections to three poems, discreetly added in Tsvetaeva's elegant hand.

Tsvetaeva left Russia in 1922 meeting up with her husband Sergey Efron in Berlin. She had for a while imagined that he had been killed by the Bolsheviks. They moved the following year to Prague, where they lived in poverty. She had an affair with Konstantin Rodzevitch, who would later marry the recipient of this volume, Maria "Muna" Bulgakova, who later described him as "a charming swine, immoral as well''. She also had some tart words for Tsvetaeva herself, describing her as "always rude to people".

This volume of poems entitled Separation is part of the extraordinary outpouring of work Tsvetaeva produced following the Revolution. The title has several layers of meaning relating to her personal circumstances, parted from her homeland, and for a number of years from her husband; separated from Rodzevitch and from one of her daughters who had recently died in Russia.

We gratefully acknowledge the kind assistance of Mr Alexander Kargaltsev in the cataloguing of this item.