[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 studied at the Narekyan and Nersesyan schools in Akni. In 1892, he moved to Constantinople, where he worked as a miniature painter. Following the 1915 Deportation, he relocated to Paris, where he also became involved in book illustration. In 1947, he immigrated to Soviet Armenia. The Armenian Genocide occupies a central place in Kebabdjian’s art. One of his earliest known works, The Nightmare of the Survivors, depicts Armenia engulfed in smoke, flames, darkness, and ruins. This national tragedy also inspired several of his other paintings, including Light from the Darkness, The Root of Ruins, The Mourning of Armenian Mothers, and Memorial of Armenian Unburied Martyrs.

In Paris, Kebabdjian worked as a designer and creator in a textile production establishment from 1923 to 1936. He held two successful exhibitions of his works in Paris, one in 1930 and another in 1944. His illustrations graced numerous publications, including works by Vasken Chouchanian, Sidona de Nichan Béchiktachlian, and Teotig's "Almanach pour tous." He was also a member of the editorial committee for the newspaper "Haratch," alongside notable figures such as Chavarche Missakian, Armen Lubin, and Teotig.

In 1947, after suffering a stroke that left him paralyzed, Kebabdjian emigrated to Soviet Armenia, where he bequeathed his entire body of work to the National Gallery of Armenia. His grandson, Aram Kebabdjian, is a renowned writer, continuing the family's artistic and literary legacy.

Toros Azadian (1898-1955) was a philologist, poet, and prominent public figure in Istanbul. He worked as an editor and reporter for the newspaper Jamanak. In 1945, Azadian travelled from Istanbul to Soviet Armenia to report on the Catholicos election held at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Upon his return, he shared his impressions of Soviet Armenia, the Mother See, and the meetings he attended, writing for the Armenian readership in Istanbul.

As of February 2025, OCLC shows eight libraries (42644915): UC Southern Systemwide Facility, UCLA, HathiTrust Digital Library, University of Michigan & UoM Dearborn, LoC, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University Library.