This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/29/2022
THE CABALISTIC CLOCK DIAL (LA PENDULE AERIENNE). Paris: Voisin, ca. 1872. Gilded glass clock dial on which rests a single delicate hand at its center. The dial encased in a round bras bezel terminating in a large knob and ring at its apex, above Roman numeral XII. In performance, the conjuror would interact with the clock as if it were alive, asking it questions or allowing the audience to do so. As if motivated by a ghostly force, the hand of the clock would – without spinning or interaction from the performer, move mysteriously around the dial to stop on number to reveal the answer to a question (“How many children do I have?” “What is my birth date?”). The apparatus suspended by cords from the ceiling or the conjuror’s table, well away from assistants or the scenery. Diameter 16 ¾”. Includes a custom-made carrying case constructed by Rüdiger Deutsch.