Bucharest, Feb 7 /Agerpres/ – The poetry collection entitled ‘Poesii’ [Poems] by Mihai Eminescu – the first and only one printed during the poet’s lifetime – was sold on Thursday evening for 6,000 euros in the rare book and autograph auction organized by Casa Artmark at the Cesianu-Racovita Palace and online.

The session included a section dedicated to Mihai Eminescu.

The first edition of ‘Poesii’ was published on December 21, 1883, at the Socec publishing house, under the care of literary critic Titu Maiorescu. The poetry collection was the best sold item at the auction.

Another very rare piece that was auctioned during the same session is a photograph of Mihai Eminescu, one of only four existing, which was made in 1880 in the Bernhard Brand workshop, after the cliche of Jan Tomas in Prague, commissioned by the General Association of Romanian University Students, the Iasi Section. The photograph was auctioned for the amount of 5,000 euros.

During the auction, the first edition of Dimitrie Cantemir’s famous work, ‘Descrierea Moldovei’ [Description of Moldavia] dating from 1767-1770, in the format of a historical and scientific magazine, was purchased for 3,000 euros.

Among the other items awarded at high prices were: the volume ‘Romania pitoreasca’ [Pitoresque Romania], by Alexandru Vlahuta, also the first edition, Bucharest, 1901, with original bibliophile binding by the Socec publishing house and the ex-libris of King Carol I, a rare, collector’s item, which was awarded at 1,000 euros, ‘Calauza in credinta ortodoxa’ [Guide to the Orthodox Faith] by Archimandrite Ilie Cleopa, Bucharest, 1991, with the author’s dedication and signature, was sold at 1,800 euros, ‘Octoihul Slavo-Roman’ [The Slavonic-Romanian Octoechos], printed by Mitrofan of Buzau, during the time of rular Constantin Brancoveanu, in Buzau, 1700, with a silver lock, decorated with enamel paintings, was awarded at 1,800 euros, the collector’s item ‘Transfigurare’ [Transfiguration] by Tudor Arghezi, Bucharest, 1944, the third copy of five, numbered ‘C’, with the signatures of the poet Tudor Arghezi and the engraver Vasile Dobrian, was auctioned at 2,400 euros, a photograph illustrating Constantin Brancusi in a rattan armchair on the terrace of Villa Marguerite, visiting Mary Reynolds and Marcel Duchamp, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, September 1931, was auctioned at 600 euros.

The next Artmark session – dedicated to postmodern and contemporary art – will take place on February 20.