Learn Marble Vase

The Gold Marble Vase

Instructions and Routine by Brad Burt

Introduction: Here is an old classic magic effect that I hope will find some very good use in the new Millennium. Why? Because, oddly enough what started out as a simple project to reintroduce a wonderful little piece of magic apparatus for Magic Makers, Inc. has turned into a major improvement of that same trick. What you get: You are supplied with a solid brass gold plated two part vase. You also get two small balls. Notice right up front that the balls will ‘JAM’ into the conical top of the vase and release when the top is placed onto the bottom and/or the entire vase is picked up and set down, much as you would a Chop Cup. The Original Move: The Vase is designed so that when the ball is inside the closed vase and the vase is held by the magician’s second finger on top of the cone and the thumb supporting the bottom of the vase ... You can now SHAKE the vase in a CURVING DOWNWARD MOTION SO THAT YOUR RIGHT THUMB ENDS UP ON TOP causing the ball to JAM up into the lid. Basically your R.H. just moves to the right at the wrist in a half arc motion ending up with the bottom of the vase in the air thus aiding in the ball sticking into the top of the vase!!! This is the classic move and it takes some practice and fiddling around to get the knack. Using this move the most basic routine would look like this: Display the vase in two pieces and the ball. Now place the ball into the vase and place the top on the vase. Holding as described above you point at the table and note, “I will place the vase exactly here.” As you say this, your right arm performs the sidewise arcing move causing the ball to jam into the lid. Place the vase down softly and gesture in your best magical manner. Lift the lid to show the ball has vanished. Place the lid back on with enough force to cause the ball to fall. Or place the lid back on and pick the whole unit up and then gently yet forcefully place it back down on the counter; this should cause the ball to fall free for its reappearance! All can be handed out at the end.

Notes: Getting the ball to jam in can sometimes be frustrating. BUT!!!! I have experimented and discovered the following: Take a new jar of RUBBER CEMENT. Place a very, very thin coat of cement into and around the inside of the cap. It will be totally invisible, last quite some time and work really, really neatly! Make sure that the cement is TOTALLY DRY before trying the ‘ball jam’ move. If you still have trouble, add a little more rubber cement. Once you get this right it rocks! The Middle Routine: This routine and the one following takes advantage of the second ball and some unique, but fun moves to make The Marble Vase really come alive. When you are done reading this, you will see that there are many, many more routine variations possible. Set up this way: Have the ball already gently ‘jammed’ in the cap and ready to come out. The cap is sitting on the base and the ball is sitting loose on the table next to the Vase. Now, lift the top of the Vase off gently with the L.H. Take the ball with the R.H. and drop it into the base. Pick up the base and dump the ball out onto the table again. Place the top onto the base and then pick up the entire Vase and set aside hard enough to dislodge the ball. O.k., now, we can get down to it: You perform any small ball vanish that will leave the ball finger palmed in the L.H. (I prefer the Roll Vanish, but a decent French Drop would be fine also, but either vanish must be convincing.) Perform the vanish. Relax your L. H. at your side and reach to the vase with you R.H. and lift the top to show the ball has magically reappeared inside the vase!!! Now, replace the top on the vase and pick the vase up. Curl your L.H. into a loose fist and place the Vase on top of the opening of the fist. I.e., place the base of the Vase upon the curled First Finger and Thumb of the L.H. Twist the top of the vase and release the ball from the L. Little Finger Palm. It will fall to the table. (This would be the perfect place to do the Original Move and show the Vase empty. Do so if you have solid control of the Move.) Set the vase down and place the ball into your R. pants pocket. Make a gesture over the Vase and have the spectator lift the lid to show the ball has returned. This is a VERY effective sequence of moves and takes very little skill except for the vanish. In the last routine the skill level goes up, but the routine is very strong.

The Knock‘em Dead Routine: This routine makes use of some original moves that are really not as difficult to do as they may sound at first. That said, this routine really rocks and it will show itself to be easily changed and added to as you experiment with other moves and ideas of your own.

The set up: You begin the routine exactly as you do the middle routine above. From this point I am going to number the moves.... #1- You start as above. Set the Vase aside and knock the ball down into the base. Now, vanish the ball leaving it Little Finger Palmed in the L.H. With the R.H. reach over and take the top off the Vase and show the ball inside. Place the top into the curled L.H. and with the L. little and Ring fingers LOAD the ball into the top and seat it so that it won’t roll out. Bring the top out and now hold it with the L. First and Second Fingers and Thumb. #2- Dump the ball out of the base with the R.H. and place the Top back on with the Left. Take the ball and again perform a vanish that leaves it finger palmed in the L.H. (This next sequence is a killer!) Now, take off the top of the vase showing the ball inside again and place the Top off to the right. READ CAREFULLY: Reach over and take the Base with the L. First Finger and Second finger. The fingers pointing to the Right and in such position that the Thumb could (and will) hold the ball in the base. Now....as you turn the base over to dump out the ball the L. Thumb sneaks over and holds it in the base as your R.H. turns face up to receive the ball. What you drop is the FINGER PALMED BALL HELD BY THE LEFT HAND!!! That ball falls into the R.H. which immediately sets it aside and picks up the Top and places it back onto the base as the base is turned back face up. If you time this right it is impossible to see the ball in the base. Set the Vase down. #3- Place the visible ball into the L. Pant pocket and steal a 38-40mm red Billiard Ball or whatever (Oh, yeah, I didn’t tell you, you needed a load at this point...sorry.) And finger palm the ball. Now, gesture with the R.H. at the Vase and lift the top again to show the ball has appeared! Put the Top back on and do the Original Move. Hold the Vase over the curled L.H. and drop the Billiard Ball. Immediately lift the Top with the R.H. and show the Vase empty! Ta Da. (You can find solid red billiard balls at most pool table supply shops). Alternate ending: Don’t do the Original Move. Do the appearance of the Billiard Ball and then.....Place the Base between the first two fingers of the PALM UP LEFT HAND right at the FIRST joint of each finger and .... As the R.H. lifts up the Top of the Vase kick the vase over and towards your body so that it dumps the ball into the L.H. finger palm. Instantly the R.H. sets it’s Top down and the L.H. tosses the Base into the R.H. which sets it down. You are now basically clean!

Good Luck & Enjoy