MAN RAY (1890-1976) Lot n° 557

Man Ray (1890-1976), Cadeau (Present), Conceived in 1921 and cast in 1971 by Mirano Foundry, Venice, in a numbered edition of 5000. All accompanied by certificates with a text by Arturo Schwarz. The object of this lot is one of the full, unopened crates as found by the buyer of this Man Ray edition in 1993, in a bonded warehouse in Chiasso, where the entire edition had been stored. The edition of 5000 copies was produced in Italy in the early 70’s at the request of a Japanese art dealer, but was never paid for or collected. Gallery owner Anselmino of the Galleria ‘Il Fauno’ in Turin, who had accepted the commission as Man Ray’s agent, died tragically in 1979. Anselmino marketed only one hundred copies and his financier stored the remainder in a bonded warehouse in Chiasso, Switzerland, where they remained for 20 years. a complete crate with 24 ‘Cadeau’ sculptures by Man Ray, all signed, dated, numbered, and titled (on the handles), cast iron and copper, each H 16,5 cm,