250.00€
Exceptionally rare first and apparently only published issue of the Greek avant-garde literary and artistic review Κιβωτός της Τέχνης (“Ark of Art”), issued in Spring 1969 during the Greek military junta.
This remarkable 36-page publication represents an important piece of modern Greek literary and avant-garde history, and this particular copy has exceptional additional significance as an association copy connecting two important Greek poets: Panos Kaponis and Giannis Kontos.
The review was chief-edited by poet Panos Kaponis, associated with the literary generation that became known as the “Generation of the ’70s.” Its appearance in 1969 placed it within the politically and culturally restrictive environment of the military dictatorship, when literary and artistic expression was subject to censorship and suppression.
The publication appears to have been short-lived, with No. 1 being the unique published issue, making surviving copies particularly scarce.
The importance of this particular example is greatly enhanced by its direct connection to Panos Kaponis and Giannis Kontos.
The copy retains the personal library stamp of Panos Kaponis:
«ΒΙΒΛΙΟΘΗΚΗ ΠΑΝΟΥ ΚΑΠΟΝΗ»
“Library of Panos Kaponis”
The stamp has subsequently been crossed out by hand, apparently by Kaponis himself, indicating its removal from his personal library.
More importantly, the title/inner page bears a handwritten dedication by Panos Kaponis to the poet Giannis Kontos, reading:
“To Giannis Kontos for his archive”
and dated:
April 1976
This transforms the publication from an already rare avant-garde periodical into a highly personal association copy.
The dedication documents the direct transfer of the publication from its editor to another important figure of contemporary Greek poetry and indicates that the issue was deliberately preserved as part of Kontos’s personal literary archive.
The date of the dedication is particularly interesting.
April 1976 falls only months after the collapse of the Greek military junta and the beginning of the Metapolitefsi, the period of democratic transition that followed the dictatorship.
The dedication therefore provides a fascinating physical link between:
the underground/avant-garde cultural environment of 1969
and
the renewed literary freedom and cultural activity of the post-junta period in 1976.
The wording, “for his archive,” is especially significant for collectors of literary provenance, as it indicates an intentional act of preservation rather than a casual presentation copy.
Panos Kaponis became associated with the generation of Greek poets that emerged around the 1970s and was involved in the experimental literary and artistic culture that developed during the politically turbulent decades of the 1960s and 1970s.
Giannis Kontos was likewise an important figure of modern Greek poetry and is associated with the Generation of the ’70s.
The surviving dedication provides direct documentary evidence of the relationship between the two poets and gives this particular copy an importance beyond its bibliographical rarity.
Κιβωτός της Τέχνης belongs to the fascinating history of post-war Greek experimental literature, art and publishing.
Its appearance in Spring 1969, during the military dictatorship, places it within one of the most difficult periods for intellectual and artistic expression in modern Greek history.
The publication’s distinctive geometric cover design and experimental character reflect the broader avant-garde tendencies of the period.
The scarcity of surviving copies is further enhanced by its apparently short publishing life.
This is therefore not simply an old literary magazine, but a contemporary document of the cultural climate of Greece immediately before the political transformation of 1974.
Title: Κιβωτός της Τέχνης
English: Ark of Art
Issue: No. 1
Date: Spring 1969
Format: Literary and artistic review
Editor-in-chief: Panos Kaponis
Extent: 36 pages
Dimensions: approx. 24 ψμ × 17 cm
Language: Greek
Illustrations/Design: Avant-garde graphic design by Ralis Kopsidis
Provenance: Panos Kaponis library stamp; handwritten dedication to Giannis Kontos, April 1976
Special feature: Association copy
Very good vintage condition overall.
The original paper covers display minor age-toning and light wear consistent with a fragile publication more than fifty years old. The distinctive geometric cover design remains visually strong and vibrant.
The binding/stapling remains stable.
The author’s library stamp, cancellation and handwritten dedication are clearly preserved and form an essential part of the item’s provenance.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition description.
