18 x 12cm, 60 pp. Original wrappers. Loose signatures. First edition of this privately printed and remarkably notorious "story of damask illusion".

The title translates as "A sexual nocturne" and is a tale of a man recalling his early encounters with sexuality and sexual language, a rendezvous in a bordello ("one of those high moments that convinces us to put off suicide") and other incidents that shaped his erotic history.

Edice 69 books were never available for sale; they were exclusively available to subscribers and friends. The company consisted of Styrsky as editor with Toyen for the most part. This book and Styrsky's EMILIE PRICHAZI KE MNE VE SNU (Emily Comes to Me in a Dream) constitute the most important of the series of which there would be only six volumes in all.

In these issues Toyen would express herself with the least inhibitions of frank sexuality, a factor never far from her central concerns throughout her oeuvre, and Styrsky a complex, multilayered self-confession. Styrsky was the more obsessive of the two and more attracted to kinkiness and the downright weird. Nezval's participation in Edice 69 was limited to this one release. It is oft cited as one of Nezval's worst books but the text serves as a platform for the visual content, which is also true of all the issues of Edice 69.

All of the participants in the publishing venture shared the conviction to employ art as a means to eroticise the world, overcoming the throes of 19th century morality and thus self-releasing into freedom; they were social critics and shared strong leftist sympathies, pushing the boundaries of conventional reality through eroticism. The collages by Styrsky are some of his most startling and outrageous, conveying psychological twists and biographical messages in a zany humour.

This is nr 83 of 138 numbered copies ie 2 x 69 - half of the edition was hand coloured and is very, very rarely encountered - and this example is in very good condition with some marks on the wrappers . Exceptionally rare and desirable. 

Four numbers, uniformly 27 x 21cm, 88pp, 96pp, 108pp and 132pp respectively. The penultimate surrealist journal which received Breton's approval (and arguably the last as  L'Archibras was published posthumously to Breton despite the latter's assent to the publication). Contributors include Alechinsky, Auduin, Benayoun, Bedouin, Dax, Ivsec, Luca, Mansour (the contributions), Mayoux, Nouge, Svanberg amongst others. Illustrated throughout in b/w by the likes of Toyen, Parent, Camancho, Klapheck and others. All in very good condition although nr 6 has some minor chipping to the wrappers.

Price is for all four numbers - we may sell individual numbers from the set do enquire.

30.5 x 24.5cm, 72pp. Original printed cards. An important monograph and exhibition catalogue with a text in French by Toyen's friend and sometime collaborator Radovan Ivsic. Numerous illustrations of Toyen's works throughout in b/w and colours. Minor wear and a slight tear at base of dustjacket but overall very good. Not often encountered.

8 x 22cm. light card folder content of 7 x 20cm insert composed of 7 b/w reproductions of paintings by Toyen and accompanying texts per. First edition of this uncommon publication issued for the title exhibition of works by Toyen.

Each image reproduced herein is captioned by a relevant text from Benayoun, Breton, Elleouet, Goldfayn, Mesens, Peret and Silbermann, respectively. One of an unstated regular issue after 28 'du tete' examples. Minor wear to folder, else in very good+ estate.

15 x 10.5cm, 2pp photographic postcard with a portrait of the two artist relaxing in an exhibition space. VG+.

21 x 14cm, 228 pp. Original boards with pictorial dustwrapper designed by Toyen. First edition of this period novel notable for its cover design (and almost certainly vignette on the boards which is not noted) by the surrealist. Minor wear and small closed tears to the dustjacket.

19.5 x 12.4cm, 210pp. Original wrappers. First edition of this fourth volume from Majerova's grand Czech novel of female hardship. Cover and six lithographs internally by Toyen. Very good apart from some weakness in the binding of the first 6 pages.

20.8 x 14.5cm, 228pp. Original pictorial dustjacket over blank paper wrappers. A translation of Gorki's novel of the army as translated by Kadlec. The wrappers here were designed by Toyen. A very good + copy with only minor edge wear.

19.5 x 13.8cm, 352pp. Embossed yellow and orange boards with pictorial dustwrapper. Place ribbon. First Czech edition of this novel (The Good Earth) with a book design and typography by Toyen and with a dustjacket by Ladislav Sutner (using a still from a Metro Goldwyn Mayer film). The dj is in mostly vg condition with some wear and tears to the extremities, internally the book is in very good condition. Frontispiece drawing and the design on the boards by Toyen.

23 x 18.5cm, 70pp. Original wrappers with a cover employing adapted musical notation as a repeating design element by Toyen. First edition (we believe) of this musical score which is signed by Rafael Kubelik on the half-title page. Very good condition.

15 x 20.5 cm. 176pp. 21 full-page b/w illustrations by Toyen. Cloth with a pictorial design in colours by Toyen. The second issue of this very early illustrated work by the Czech Surrealist. Originally published in 1925, this translation by Hrdinova of Vildrac's beloved children's tale "L'Ile Rose" is exemplary for the delightful series of designs created by Toyen (ne. Marie Cerminova) at age 22, and 8 years before she co-founded the Surrealist group in Czechoslovakia, as well as predating her involvement with the "Poetist" movement. A very good+ example of this charming and formative document. Scarce.

21 x 14.5cm, 160pp plus boards and pictorial dustjacket which is a photomontage designed by Toyen - else a novel. Minor wear and small closed tears to the dustjacket. Some brown stains to the closed end of the pages. Priced thus.