This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/29/2022
REINCARNATION OF THE INCA’S HEAD. Los Angeles: F.G. Thayer, ca. 1940. A decorative chest is placed upon an open framework stand decorated in a scarab motif. The box is opened, and a skull is removed and displayed. It is replaced in the box and then, visibly, flesh grows on the skull as it becomes a living human head. The head opens its eyes and mouth, looks about, and interacts with the audience until, on command, the flesh slowly fades from the face and it returns to its original form – that of a bare skull. Finely crafted framework in the Thayer tradition, lacquered in bright colors. Includes original rheostat wired with switches and insulated electrical cords (not tested). Approximately 48 x 33 x 48”. Includes a model of the “mummy head” used in the Thayer workshops to create other versions of the effect. Minor wear to finish and various elements from use, but very good condition overall. Rare. A combination of technology utilized by John Henry Pepper and Henri Robin, this self-contained “ghost” illusion was conceived by Carl Owen, the man responsible for devising and constructing many of the great stage illusions of the twentieth century. The apparatus was first offered for sale in the 1930s.