Ball and Vase Magic Trick: The Basics and Fundamentals

The ball and vase magic trick is a classic and popular trick performed by many magicians. It involves a small vase and a ball that can be used to create the illusion of a vanishing or appearing object. The trick usually starts with the magician showing an empty vase to the audience. The vase is then placed upside down on a table or held in the magician's hand. The magician then takes a small ball and places it on top of the vase. With a magical gesture or command, the ball appears to vanish into thin air.

(The GEICO folks have another theory.)

The lota bowl trick which involves a vessel that can seemingly refill itself after being emptied is the oldest known prop trick, and dates to around 3000 BCE, according to magician historian Bill Spooner. The routine involves some of magic s most fundamental effects and skills like vanishes and transpositions, and misdirection and dexterity and mastering it is often considered a good education in magic or a rite of passage for a performer.

With a magical gesture or command, the ball appears to vanish into thin air. The magician can then reveal that the ball has actually been hidden inside the vase the entire time. To do this, the magician simply lifts the vase up and reveals the hidden ball inside.

Ball and vase magic trickk

How far back does the BALL AND VASE go back? Did Tarbell ever do it? Have you ever seen a professional magician do it?
I saw my first ball and vase around 50 plus years ago and I still see them for sale in magic sets.
Jeff

I think it was mentioned in "Recreations Mathematiques et Physiques" which dates back to 1693. No doubt it was also around a long time before that.

The history of Magic tricks fascinates me. Wouldn't it be great to have a room here at the Café that handled just inquiries such as this. Within time we would build up a comprehensive history of many effects.

You may be interested in the Magic Lineage Project .

The "Oldies but Goodies" section serves this purpose fairly well. Unfortunately, the historical aspect of magic as well as the collecting aspect is fairly much a niche market. A very small percentage of us are really interested in that.

A precursor to the Ball and Vase, called the Globe Box, shows up in H. Dean. So the trick has been around for hundreds of years.

Founder of CODBAMMC

My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups."

In H. Dean, there is also a mention of the egg box as a variation on the Globe Box. My edition is a fairly late one, though.

Founder of CODBAMMC

My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups."

The copy of Sports and Pastimes I have, has the first references to the trick performed with a ball as well as an egg box. It also contains the first coin hank and fart powder. There are also several practical jokes such as putting bits of soap into a butter churn so that the victim would churn all day and never make butter. It contains a couple of chemical and drug references, such as drugging and capturing blackbirds.

Only 200 copies of the reprint exist. Counting the two originals, there are 202 copies total. I saw one sell at $150 and one at $75. I know someone that has a copy for sale, but I would not sell mine.

I think it’s copied from a text around 1450 or so, I would have to look at mine to be sure. Scotts’ is the same timeframe.

Most books from those time periods did not survive.

Would be nice to have a copy transcribed from the Old English to modern text.

. think not that all wisdom is in your school. You may have studied other paths,but, it is important to remember that no matter who you are or where you come from, there is always more to learn.

No one has mentioned Mike Skinner's pro routine with the B&V (and I think Ed Marlo had a handling).

I used to use some clever sleights when selling them in a magic shop 60 years ago. but the trick is older than God.

Tiny bits of wax inside the S**** can help make some ball hops nobody is expecting.

Whenever you think the word S**** also think of wax.

Pete, where do you get Skinner's version? Is this the one with the marble vase?

. think not that all wisdom is in your school. You may have studied other paths,but, it is important to remember that no matter who you are or where you come from, there is always more to learn.

I was working a hospitality suite for a paint company a while back, in San Antonio. They went to Berkie's and bought a bunch of tricks for giveaways. Among them was the Ball and Vase.

I took two of them and copped the ball out of one, which I placed in my pocket. Then, I was able to accomplish miracles with this little trick.

If you know basic cups and balls and simple sleight of hand, you will be able to figure out what to do.

I improvised and had the gilpins hopping over this one.

Founder of CODBAMMC

My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups."

I use the ball vase. A few years ago, Curtis Kam mentioned that he knew a few magicians that also used it, albeit they use large versions (I use a pocket version).

As far as I know, there are three professional routines out there: Mike Gallo, Michael Skinner and Ed Marlo. Skinner's version is on one of his videotapes and in his book; Gallo's in Richard's Almanac (Nov 83); and Marlo's is in Arcade Dreams.

I have two fairly large ones, turned from wood. Also, I have one that's similar, but shorter, and has a hollow ball and two silks (dark red to match the balls and gaff), along with the regular ball and gaff. The stem is hollow on that one. for the production of a silk. nice.

They're from India. They look nice sitting on my TV, with a Crystal Ball in the middle, between them. Seems everyone knows how it's done, so they're just ornaments. Too bad.

P.S. What'd I do, go and kill THIS topic, now? Sorry!

This creates a moment of surprise and wonder for the audience as they try to figure out how the ball disappeared and then reappeared. The ball and vase magic trick relies on a combination of sleight of hand, misdirection, and the use of props. The secret to the trick lies in the hollow design of the vase, which allows the magician to hide and reveal the ball without the audience noticing. One of the key elements of performing this trick successfully is the magician's ability to distract and misdirect the audience's attention. By using subtle hand movements and gestures, the magician can draw the audience's attention away from the secret compartment inside the vase. The ball and vase magic trick is a great example of the principles of magic and illusion. It showcases the magician's ability to deceive and manipulate the audience's perception, creating a sense of wonder and disbelief. It is a classic trick that has entertained and amazed audiences for many years..

Reviews for "Ball and Vase Magic Trick: Fooling the Eye with Sleight of Hand"

1. Sarah - 1/5 - I was extremely disappointed with the ball and vase magic trick. It was incredibly predictable, and I could see exactly how the trick was done from the very beginning. It lacked any sense of surprise or wonder, making it a complete waste of my time. I would not recommend this trick to anyone looking for an entertaining and mind-boggling magic performance.

2. John - 2/5 - The ball and vase magic trick was quite underwhelming for me. While I understand that simple tricks can sometimes be impressive, this one fell flat. The mechanics behind the trick were too obvious, and I could easily figure out what was happening. It didn't hold my interest or leave me in awe like other magic tricks often do. Overall, this trick lacked the excitement and mystery that I look for in magic performances.

3. Emily - 1/5 - I found the ball and vase magic trick to be plain boring. The whole trick was so straightforward that it didn't leave any room for amazement or intrigue. It felt like something I could have figured out and performed myself, without any prior knowledge of magic. I was hoping for a more mind-bending and mystifying experience, but unfortunately, the ball and vase trick was far from it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating magic performance.

How to Perform the Ball and Vase Magic Trick like a Pro