ILIAZD (Ilia Zdanevitch/Zdanevich) & Pablo PICASSO Wedding announcement of Iliazd and Hélène Douard from 1968. This is a very rare single-sheet leaflet made of flying Chinese paper (10 cm x 16 cm) - probably a trial proof of the wedding invitation. ILLUSTRATION: An original drypoint by Picasso, typographically signed and dated ‘1.8.68’ at the bottom, printed on Chinese paper. As it was printed confidentially for this special event, the print run of this engraving is unknown. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco has a copy in its reserves (reference 2016.15.27.1–1) and estimates the print run to be around 70 copies. However, the fourth issue of the Carnet de l'Iliazd-Club (1997), which is devoted to portraits of Iliazd by 'his' painters, states that 'the print run of the announcement was limited to four copies (?), plus a few prints of the engraving alone' (p. 119). Ilia Zdanevitch, known as Iliazd (1894-1975), is a Russian poet, art historian and publisher of Georgian origin. He published 25 artist's books, illustrated by the major artists of modern art. It was in Vallauris that he met the ceramist Hélène Douard-Mairé, who became his third wife. On October 31, 1968, their marriage was celebrated in Vallauris. Their witnesses were the writer Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes and Pablo Picasso (represented by his wife Jacqueline) Not many of these announcements have survived: out of the 70 printed, about fifty were sent. A dozen remained at Iliazd's. (Sources: christies.com, ader-paris.fr)