Antoninus Pius Box

THE BLURB:
The legend tells that in the year 141 A.D. Antoninus Pius,
The Roman Empire Emperor, had to go on a journey due to
problems with the borders, while his beloved had to remain
in the city. It is said that during that time, the Emperor
communicated with his beloved in a very special and unique
way: both had decided that, on a certain time of the day,
she would write a message in the san and Antoninus would
randomly take some stones with different words engraved on
them. He would turn the stones around and the message that
appeared was the same as the one written on the sand (by his
beloved). The following day Antoninus was the one who would
write on the sand, and his beloved would choose the stones.
In that way, at the end of that long journey, they were able
to feel closer than ever before.

After telling the legend, the magician shows his audience
six engraved wooden pieces which he will lay face down on a
table. He also shows them a beautiful box with sand inside
of it. The magician explains that, in the way of Antoninus,
he has drawn a picture on the sand inside the box, which is
now hermetically sealed, and he asks someone from the
audience to held the box in their hands and choose one of
the six wooden pieces. When the box is opened, the picture
on the sand is the same as the one on the wooden piece. The
magician explains that this has been only one part of the
experience and that now the participant (as Antoninus'
beloved) will draw something on the sand and the magician
(as the Emperor) will choose a piece and once again the
experience will be successful. At that point the magician
asks the audience: "Do you still believe the story is only a
legend?"

This trick contains:

    *   A wooden box.
    *   A bag containing sand.
    *   Six wooden pieces with different pictures.
    *   A stick for writing on the sand.

MY COMMENTS:
This is a gorgeous utility item that's not marketed as one.
My initial reaction to the blurb was that the story was
nice, but I was hoping this very elegant looking prop would
have more than one use. Happily, I can assure you that it
does.

The story of the Roman Emperor is enchanting, but by no
means do you have to use it. Nor do you need to use the
sand. When you open the box and look inside, without the
sand, you see the wooden box, approximately 4" by 4" by 3",
with a mirror on the bottom. When a piece of writing, such
as the symbol on the wooden piece, is placed inside the box
and on top of the mirror, and the lid is closed, the
performer can easily access the information. The peek does
require the box to be at an angle and the peek may be
difficult in low light situations. But these are minor
drawbacks which I found can be easily overcome with
spectator management and forethought.

But here's another use and it's not mentioned in the
instructions. Keep a prop in the box. Take it out, set it
on the table, and keep the lid open. Now you have an
instant shiner that will allow you to do many miracles.
Experienced mentalists know the uses for, and will
appreciate, a gimmick like this.

Honestly, this is one of those items that I think has great
potential. Personally, I'm not sure how yet to incorporate
it into any of my acts or routines, but one day I will and
it'll "kill." This is a handsomely made product, very
reasonably priced, and recommended.