1 review for Stone of the Pharaoh by Paul Picha, Mephisto-Huis
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Stone of the Pharaoh by Paul Picha, Mephisto-Huis
(c. 1987) (Submit Review) (Submit Update)Mephisto-Huis’ Stone of The Pharaohs- imported years ago from Germany and now very difficult to find. A wonderful and eerie effect that practically works itself. The props supplied are beautifully crafted and the cabinets finished with a classic gold, red, black trim that look like a piece of apparatus Owen Magic Supreme would have made. Best of all … it works perfectly!
Effect: The lid of a decorative box is raised to reveal four different colored wooden mummies … gold, red, green and blue. Another display stand is shown with two covers which are removed to reveal a resting place for one of the mummies, and a mysterious looking clear crystal. While the performer is out of the room or with back turned, any one of the four mummies is placed into the “tomb” and covered. The crystal is also covered. The performer returns and asks the spectator to uncover the crystal and concentrate on the color of the mummy they selected. For a short period nothing happens, and then after about fifteen seconds the crystal slowly starts to glow the color of the chosen mummy! It shines brightly revealing the hidden selection, until slowly fading back to clear.
This looks amazing, and works with no effort by the performer. In fact, until the crystal starts glowing you really have no idea which mummy was chosen by the spectator! The ingeniously designed apparatus does it all. There are no external gimmicks to conceal. The effect may be repeated immediately.
The Story:
Some years ago during archaeological excavations in Egypt a pyramid was found with a really strange chunk of crystal. While telling this you remove the cover and you show the crystal; at that moment nobody suspects the real function of the stone and its part in the story. After careful research in a laboratory people found out that the stone was extremely sensitive to light and the four forces of nature : water, earth, air and fire. Thousand of years ago our forefathers made sacrifices to the Gods in order that the earth should be fertile, that water and air should be pure and ±at fire should give warmth and light
As they are afraid of the fire, for instance, they sacrificed a virgin on the altar of the Gods. The Gods showed our forefathers if the offering pleased them by means of this crystal. I would like to do this again now but I think it will be difficult to find a virgin as a sacrifice… so we shall use these four mummies. The red one represents the earth, the blue one the air-, the green one the water and the golden one the fire.
After about 15-20 seconds the crystal will light up in the color of the chosen mummy!!! Thanks to the Gods… but what a pity your concentration falters, and the color fades away till it disappears completely. The magic crystal has turned back into a normal crystal again. Maybe all this was only an illusion, a fata morgana ???
You can even try the experiment again. When you want to repeat the experiment, first cover the crystal again, in the right position.
(Description supplied with permission by Joe Long)
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Approx. Price: $405.00 (2002) ***
Notice: I am not a dealer and this item is not for sale on this site. It maybe available in the links below or at our sister site: qualitymagic.com, but not from here so please do not ask.© Martin's Magic (unless otherwise stated). All Rights Reserved.
Andy Martin –
Four Mummies, Lights, Camera, but not enough Action!
Ok so this is a well made, clever effect using 4 colorful mummies.
The basic premise is: you show the 4 mummies and the pedestal. Whilst your back is turned a specatator removes any one of the mummies and places it into a coffin on the pedestal and covers it up. When you turn around you lift the second cover to expose the crystal. As the spectator stares into the crystal it glows the color of the selected mummy. Then it mysteriously stops. No matter how they try they cannot get it to light again with any of the other mummies.
So all sounds very cool. The box and pedestal are made of wood with some heavy duty coating to give them a stone like look and finish. Making them of exotic woods would have made them look nicer, but they are still attractive as they are. The mummies appear to be made of some sort of chalky like material but painted with a high gloss finish. These are fine, except they are brittle so can easily chip if not handled carefully.
The electronics is self working, and once the first mummy has illuminated the light, without resetting the unit, it is not possible for the spectator to cause the light to come on again. So far so good.
This effect does exactly what it says it will do and there really are no complaints except for: so what. Clearly there is some sort of electronics in the box … its a puzzle that you can’t then get it to light again, but I don’t think people are going to walk away amazed. What this effect needs, like so many “clever” effects is more mystery, more magic, more story, more action!
As a part of a larger routine I think this could be made into something very cool. As a cool, different prop to show off in your den it is cool, but as something that is going to amaze your audience I don’t think so. Maybe I’m getting too jaded in my old age. Don’t get me wrong I like this prop, but what we need is cool electronics and entertainment. Not just cool electronics.
Well that is my opinion, and I’m sticking to it!