Lawrence Ferlinghetti — Six Sumi: Six-Print Portfolio, Signed, No. 21/40, with Chagall’s Magic Lantern Broadside (2008)

FERLINGHETTI, LAWRENCE.
Six Sumi.
San Francisco: Sore Dove Press, 2008.

Portfolio containing six prints after Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s Sumi-style paintings and drawings, accompanied by a title leaf and an introductory leaf by publisher Soheyl Dahi. Eight loose leaves in total, measuring 30.5 × 23 cm (12 × 9 inches), housed in the publisher’s custom red cloth drop-back box lettered in black.

The title leaf is signed by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and the introductory leaf is signed by Soheyl Dahi. Number 21 of only 40 copies.

Ferlinghetti’s Six Sumi translates the spontaneous, gestural character of East Asian ink painting into six boldly expressive compositions. The portfolio reflects the celebrated Beat poet’s parallel career as a painter and visual artist.

Accompanied by Chagall’s Magic Lantern, a folding poetry broadside published by Sore Dove Press in 2007, with cover artwork by Soheyl Dahi. Signed by both Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Dahi and numbered 33 of 65 copies.

Edition: Six Sumi, no. 21 of 40; Chagall’s Magic Lantern, no. 33 of 65.
Signatures: Signed by Ferlinghetti twice and by Dahi twice.
Contents: Six prints, title and introduction leaves, custom drop-back box, and separate folding broadside.
Condition: Fine.

Provenance: PBA Galleries, San Francisco.