Signed on one of the lithographs, incised signature, date, and number on the metal plate on the bottom of the wooden case, and with the edition annotation "ROTORELIEF, 1935/1953 EDITION GALERIE SCHWARZ, MILAN."
There are small scratches on the corners of the wooden case.
There is mold and soiling on the velour fabric inside the case.
There is rust throughout the surface of the magnetized disc frames.
There are stain marks and creases on the thin circular paper (two of the three pieces).

Publisher: Galleria Schwartz, Milan

French artist Marcel Duchamp was a central figure in the New York Dada and had a decisive influence on 20th century art through conceptual art such as his masterpiece ‘Fountain’ (1917). Duchamp was also known for his fascination toward opt art, which applied optical illusions, and in 1926 he created the experimental film Anémic Cinéma under his alter-ego Rose Seravy, in collaboration with Man Ray. The film, which shows a hand-made circular object rotating, demonstrates his strong interest in optical illusion and mechanical form of art, and is an early version of the editions he would later produce in several times.

This edition ‘Rotrelief’, which Duchamp also referred to as a ‘play toy’, was exhibited at GALERIE SCHWARZ in 1965 as a set of six double-sided discs rotating reliefs printed with a turntable. Duchamp had close relationship with the Italian curator Arturo Schwarz during the 50s and 60s: between 54 and 75, Schwarz organised five solo exhibitions for Duchamp at his gallery GALERIE SCHWARZ in Milan. From 64 to 65, He produced an editioned version of Duchamp's ready-made works. This edition was made in edition of 150 as part of this. Duchamp published another editions of this work in 1935 and 1953, both of which have largely been lost. This edition was created in the last years of Duchamp's life with the common motive of both restoring lost works and disseminating his work to a wider audience.

"The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp" ,Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1997, vol. II, p. 728-729, no. 441

Arturo Schwarz, The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp, New York 1970, nr. 294 e with ill. and color ill. p. 329-331