Enigmatic (Willi Wessel Collection) by Alan Warner

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This happens to be one of my favorite Alan Warner pieces. It makes use of an old principle to great effect and really produces an outstanding miracle. What I also like about this effect is the impressive and colorful display that is created as each charm is spread around the center box, ready for the final revelation. Alan writes meticulous instructions and if you read them closely you will often pick-up subtle nuances in the performance that you would otherwise miss.

There are no switches of the charms or tricky sleights, and the charms and box can be examined if required, it really does look clean. In one case there is a small move that is required, but it is too weak to be considered a sleight and performed under cover of the spectator’s larger action can be carried out with minimal heat on the performer.

A really wonderful miracle from one of Magic’s Master Craftsmen.

Effect: Two duplicate sets of five lucky Oriental charms are tipped out of their individual compartments in a small wooden box. A spectator is given one set of charms, the performer retains the other. The performer places one of his wooden charms face-down in one of the compartments, then the spectator freely chooses a charm from his set and places it face-up in the other compartment. This continues, turn and turnabout, until both sets of charms are once more back in the box.

The performer then tips out the charms into two neat piles; he removes the top one from each pile and places them side by side on the table, then continues to do the same thing with each pair in turn.

One of the charms which are face-down is now turned over by the performer to reveal the Oriental character on its reverse side. Enigmatically, it matches the Oriental character on the charm which is alongside it.

The performer then continues in like fashion with each pair of charms. ALL FIVE PAIRS OF CHARMS MATCH! Truly, we think, an enigma!

NOTE: The performer places his charm in the box in every instance BEFORE the spectator makes his choice.

The spectator has a COMPLETELY FREE CHOICE of charm every time he selects one.

At no time during the performance of the routine are either the spectator’s or the performer’s piles of charms switched for another set.

TOP QUALITY HANDCRAFTED APPARATUS:

• The gimmicked box, which is made in teak, measures 9 x 5.8 x 2.5 cms high (approx.) and has an Oriental character made in ebony wood inlaid into its lid.
• The two sets of charms are made in wood and have matching Oriental characters cut into them.
• The backgrounds of the individual characters being lacquered in different colours for quick visual identification when matching up the two sets at the climax of the routine.

The apparatus comes complete with The Alan Warner Routine.

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