[ARMENIAN AVANTGARDE / TURKISH ARMENIANS] ՔԱՌԱՍՆԱԿ / Ka’rasnag. [i.e., Quatrain]. With a foreword by Arshak Chobanian. Illustrated by Melkon Kebabdjian

AZADIAN, T[OROS] (1898-1955). Tparan Selâmet, Daniel Hovhannesian, K. Polis (Constantinople), 1930. Original illustrated wrappers. Royal 8vo (24 x 17 cm). In Armenian. xx, 117 p., richly illustrated. A small label on the lower part of the spine; slight wear to the top of the spine and minor chipping to the lower right corner of the front cover. Otherwise, a very good copy. The first and only edition of the author's collection of eleven short stories, brimming with the joy of life. The book is illustrated with striking avant-garde illustrations and a cover design by Kebabdjian. Both the author and the illustrator hail from Akni (today's Egin), and in the introduction, the author recounts the history of Akni and the first waves of migration to Istanbul following the city's early Islamic conquest. The book also includes a glossary and index at the end. One of only 100 copies. Very rare. Melkon Migirdich Kebabdjian (1880-1949) was an Armenian avant-garde painter active during the 1930s. He