Arcana:

(DUCHAMP, MARCEL). Paz, Octavio & Marcel Duchamp. Mexico City: Ediciones ERA, 1968. First Edition 1/3000. 4to. Cloth Portfolio in Slipcase. Artist Monograph. Very Good/No Jacket - As Issued. Seven components housed in a slipcased green cloth folio. Text in Spanish. This unique Marcel Duchamp item was produced in the spirit of the "Boite en Valise", and as such is a portfolio containing several smaller items related to the maestro's oeuvre, They are as collated: 1. "Marcel Duchamp o el Castello de la Pureza" - the first appearance of Octavio Paz's notable essay on the Large Glass (62pp, cloth, 8vo, 4 b&w, 8 tipped color plates), 2. "Marcel Duchamp - Textos" (69pp, wrappers, 8vo, illustrated in b&w), 3. "El Gran Vidrio" - a color transparency of "The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even" with a printed cardboard enclosure, 4. Color reproductions of each of the three versions of "Nude Descending a Staircase" - printed on heavy stock, 5. Nine postcard sized reproductions of various readymades - again on heavy stock, laid into a printed envelope, 6. "Album Fotografico / Texto Autografo / Nota Biografica" (10pp, wrappers, 8vo), and one unnumbered item, a white cardboard stand-up bust of Duchamp printed in blue ink. The contents of this copy are all in Near Fine condition or better but for the stand-up, whose cardboard has age-toned somewhat. The internal cloth portfolio shows starting and cracking of the inner hinges due to the use of cheap animal glue. The slipcase shows minor browning, abrading, fraying, and a bit of the insect damage that typically afflicts this ambitious but inexpensively produced undertaking. All in all, this is a handsome, complete example of this uncommon item - only nine copies are currently cited in OCLC WorldCat - limited to three thousand unnumbered copies that looks nicer in hand than it describes. Inventory Number: 026433