Aristophanes Lysistrata

Description

Fine Press Erotica with GDR Leadership Provenance

With amazing illustrations. 27 colored large format, mostly erotic, wood cuts (plus 1 small grayscale woodcut). Lysistrata, of course, is the ancient Greek tale of women denying men sex to stop war. These lovely woodcuts mostly depict men with erect phalluses begging and chasing women. Thus, a social commentary on men. 110 different blocks were used to render the colors. The woodcuts were printed by Aspioti Elka from March 1976 to August 1978.

Near fine except for very light bumping and sun-fading to cover.

Fine press publication with lovely colored woodcut prints by master Greek engraver Anastasios Alevizos (known as Tassos) (1914–1985). Tassos was politically affiliated with the communist party since 1930, and self-exiled himself from Greece for 7 years in protest against the government. He was a close friend of East German leadership, and this book was Tassos’ personal gift to Karl-Heinz Schulmeister, a member of East Germany’s Volkskammer (i.e. legislature) and the 1. Secretary of the Cultural Association of the GDR. Tassos inscribed the book to Schulmeister. Schulmeister in turn gifted the book 3 years later to Professor Wolfram Körner, an East German author and bibliophile who held the nickname, the “Pope of Erotica” (Erotik Papst).

In addition to being a beautiful book, this item documents the direct relationship between the GDR government and erotic art. East Germany’s impact on human relations is an interesting area of study. For example, see Kristen Ghodsee’s 2018 book Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism.

At the time of cataloguing, no other copies for sale.