This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/26/2022
Tarbell Orange Vase Combination. Los Angeles: F.G. Thayer, ca. 1927. A small orange, removed from a wooden vase, multiplies, vanishes, or reappears; one orange changes to a silk handkerchief, which then jumps inside the vase, or vice versa. A combination Ball Vase/Ball and Silk Vase and Multiplying Ball routine, all in one. Finely wood turned vase lacquered in black, with gold finial and legs and green interior, wooden “orange” and matching shell. Diameter 2 5/8”. Minor chips to finish, shell ring with tiny split, but very good condition overall. Rare. Devised by Dr. Harlan Tarbell and advertised as part of his famous Tarbell Course in Magic, the Orange Vase was offered for sale for $8.50. Tarbell worked in Chicago, but the prop was crafted in Los Angeles. Thayer was the acknowledged master magical craftsman of the era, and arguably the finest wood turner in the field. The Orange Vase is perhaps the finest example of his mastery at the lathe.