P&L The Great Brahman Rice Bowls by Petrie-Lewis

P&L created this wonderful version of the classic Rice Bowls c. 1920.  It was a big step forward because instead of the old celluloid disc method, these relied upon special bowls which were made perfectly. In fact, they are closer to Lota Bowls than Rice Bowls with nothing added or taken away.  These are certainly the version to get and they are beautifully crafted by P&L.

Thanks to Brian Watson’s tip in his wonderful book Anytime Anywhere Cups & Balls I found the ideal pouch to store these (Brian uses it for his cups, but these bowls fit perfectly too – purchase Brian’s routine for the brand name and details!).  I also added a Cotton Muslin bag to hold the rice, and you can load the bowls with water, place them in the pouch along with the rice and easily store and carry the complete outfit until you are ready to perform.  If you ever wanted to perform this classic this is the best set-up for sure.

Effect: Two finely finished brass  bowls measuring about 5 inches in diameter are exhibited to the audience, shown to be empty, and are clashed together to prove that this really is the case. The performer takes up one of the empty bowls and fills it with rice, which he levels off with his wand. The other bowl is inverted and placed over the one containing rice. It is significant to note that this bowl is genuinely empty when inverted over the other.

The other bowl is again shown and proven sways them back and forth for an instant before setting them down on a tray. Upon separating the bowls the spectators are astonished to observe that the rice has doubled in quantity, as the bowl is seen to be more than overflowing. The other bowl is again shown and proven to be empty. Once more it is inverted over the bowl of rice and the performer again sways them back and forth. When taken apart this time the rice has entirely vanished and the bowls are overflowing with water which continues to increase in quantity as the water is poured from one bowl to the other.

The wonderful effect invariably created by this bewildering trick should not in any way be confused with that of the old familiar Rice and Water Trick, as positively no celluloid disc is used.

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