Extremely rare books dating from the 16th century to the present day, important documents from historical events in modern Greece, manuscripts by great poets and writers, photographic evidence from 19th and 20th century Greece, as well as posters promoting the country abroad with timeless aesthetics, are just some of the items included in the extensive catalog of the upcoming VERGOS Auctions.

Interested parties may participate in the auction in person at the Zappeion Megaron, online, or by submitting a written and/or telephone bid. For more information you may visit www.vergosauctions.com 

The two-day auction “Rare Books, Manuscripts, Documents & Engravings” will take place in front of an audience on Tuesday, November 4, and Wednesday, November 5, at 5:30 p.m. at the Zappeion Megaron.

In view of the anniversary of November 17, two exceptional works are being auctioned, through which their creators expressed their political stance and opposition to the military dictatorship. Specifically:

• The work Fall or Horizontal Composition or Fall of Georgios Karaiskakis by the distinguished engraver Vasso Katraki in 5 parts, which was most likely created in view of her participation in the 33rd Venice Biennale in 1966 and expresses, with its symbolic and dramatic character, her political concerns a year before the coup d’état of 1967 and the dictatorship of the Colonels . With the imposition of the dictatorship, Vasso Katraki was arrested and exiled to Giaros. Following international pressure, she was released after a year.
• Preliminary sketch for the wall woodcut “November 17, 1973” by A. Tassos (Anastasios Alevizos). This is the preliminary sketch for the central section of the artist’s impressive wall woodcut (89 x 534 x 2.5 cm), “November 17, 1973.” The woodcut began to be designed three days after the events at the Polytechnic and was completed in September 1975. Since 2004, this work, a symbol of the culmination of the anti-dictatorial struggle “reminiscent of a frieze,” has been part of the Greek Parliament’s art collection and is on display outside the Senate chamber.

Among the many rare books, maps, and historical documents at auction, the following stand out:

• A portolan chart of the Greek peninsula, the Aegean islands, Crete, the Ionian Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Italian peninsula, Corsica, and Sardinia, dating from the mid-18th century. Portolanos are considered an achievement of navigation at the time, as they provided particularly useful information depending on the port of destination. Each description in the volume is accompanied by detailed diagrams, always drawn to scale. A similar manuscript by François Azan is held at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University.

• A letter signed by 25 military leaders, including Georgios Karaiskakis, Nikitaras, Ath. Koutsounikas, and others, to the residents of Psarra, announcing their victory over the Turks in Domvrena, Boeotia, and the heroic death of General Giannakis Sultanis, while requesting that ammunition be sent to them.