Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India: Kitabistan, 1946. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. 150pp. Red cloth with black lettering to spine and upper board. The extremely scarce Indian-published true first edition of this work by Nicholas Roerich (1874 - 1947). Roerich was a Russian-born painter, philosopher, writer, and traveler, renowned for his studies of Central Asia and the Himalayas and who, with his wife Helena founded the teaching "Agni Yoga". The foreword indicates this to be the 12th volume of the works of Nicholas Roerich and is devoted to the concept of "Culture" - which Roerich says is the "reverence of Light", the love of humanity, a fragrance, the unity of life and beauty. This was almost certainly the last book of Roerich's to be published in his lifetime as he died a little over a year later in the (just) neighbouring State of Himachal Pradesh. The book has the usual rather shoddy south-Asian production values of the time. Cheap cloth somewhat mottled, chafing and bruising to spine ends and corners, several publisher inkstamps to first blank endpaper, page edges and endpapers darkened and a bit discoloured, pages browned but unmarked. Some indentations to the first few leaves (an artefact of the binding process). Overall a relatively clean and solid Good + copy in Good dust jacket which is rare in any condition (Dust jacket is a bit worn overall with some darkening to spine, some light creasing, old paper reinforcements to the head of spine, bottom of rear panel, and blank reverse. Lightly chipped at edges and points, price clipped. Now in protective mylar cover.). Item #69351

Price: $325.00