This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2020
Hofzinser, Dr. Johan Nepomuk. Hofzinser’s Own “Wonderful Wand.” Circa 1860. Silver-plated mechanical metal wand owned and used by Hofzinser; in effect, a borrowed ring would vanish from the performer’s hands, then reappear inside the small plunger-activated cup at the end of the wand, which splits in half when the end of the prop is pressed. Length 16”. The original Hofzinser wand used by Deutsch to create a limited number of recreations, themselves now prized collector’s items.Hofzinser, the great Vienese parlor magician of the mid-19th century, is now known as the inventor of many fundamental sleight-of-hand maneuvers and, alongside Robert-Houdin, is widely regarded as one of the most significant conjurers of all time. His performances interwove elegant card tricks with effects relying on complex bespoke apparatus, built to an exceptionally high standard. Many of these original props are now part of the McManus-Young collection at the Library of Congress, donated in 1955. This is one of but a few objects owned by Hofzinser to come to market in the last half-century.