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The Enigma of Isidore Ducasse

A heavy gray, felt fabric is wrapped around an unseen object that is the shape of a sewing machine. The wrapped fabric is tied up with plain twine so that it resembles a package.

A heavy gray, felt fabric is wrapped around an unseen object that is the shape of a sewing machine. The wrapped fabric is tied up with plain twine so that it resembles a package.

Artist Man Ray (American, 1890–1976)
Title The Enigma of Isidore Ducasse
Date 1971 edition (after 1920 original)
Medium Felt, string, and and wood
Dimensions Overall: 17 5/16 x 22 5/8 x 9 7/8 in. (44 x 57.5 x 25.1 cm)
Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 71.95.2

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About this Work

Like Man Ray’s Gift, this readymade—ostensibly a felt-wrapped sewing machine—invites associations with the garment industry. Wrapping an unseen object in a soft textile also has erotic connotations, similar to those evoked in Duchamp’s Traveler’s Folding Item.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"The Enigma of Isidore Ducasse | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=71.95.2