Trubadūrs uz ēzeļa : 1918.-1920. (Troubadour on a Donkey : 1918.-1920.) [Collection of poems]

Good condition; cover shows rubbing, repaired spine and chippings on the cover edges, slight trace of moisture to the right upper edge of the front cover; internally almost fine. 

The first of three collections of humorous and satirical poems published by author under the pen name Oliveretto derived from Boccaciio's Decameron character. Oliveretto is a magician, juggler, whisperer, and a clown in one person. And like every circus man, he takes life very seriously. In the role of Oliveretto with the high poetic professionalism, the author aptly and ironically, but simultaneously with astonishingly lyrical intonations typical for real Sudrabkalns, emphasises the most important - as the phenomena of his epoch so the contribution of the poet in it. Oliveretto creates a new fantastic reality, which is often a parody of the actual reality, thus with comic seriousness wisely ironizing about his era.

Both book noticeable avant-garde cover in red and black and full-page fronpispiece illustrations are made in linocut technique by N. Strunke. Niklavs Strunke (1894-1966) famous artist, representative of radical phase in Latvian avant-garde, whose art is known by Cubist and Constructivist influences. Member of the cult Riga Artists Group. Works in the field of book design feature refined stylization, ornateness and simplicity of forms, clarity, purity, and primitivism.

Jānis Sudrabkalns (1894–1975), born Arvīds Peine, was profilic Latvian poet and writer. He worked for a number of newspapers throughout the 1920's and 1930's, and published several poetic collections, which were marked by emotional and intellectual intensity and by virtuosity of form. After the WWII placed his talents at the serve of the Soviet propaganda.