Potter & Potter Auctions
Live Auction

Houdiniana & Magic Memorabilia

Sat, Apr 26, 2025 12:00PM EDT
Lot 195

Tarbell Orange Vase Combination. Los Angeles: F.G. Thayer, ...

Estimate: $2,500 - $5,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$30 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
Tarbell Orange Vase Combination. Los Angeles: F.G. Thayer, ca. 1927. A small orange, removed from a wooden vase, multiplies, vanishes, or reappears; one orange changes to a silk handkerchief, which then jumps inside the vase, or vice versa. A combination Ball Vase/Ball and Silk Vase and Multiplying Ball routine, all in one. Finely wood turned vase lacquered in black, with gold finial and legs and green interior, wooden ?orange" and matching shell. Diameter 2 5/8". Minor rubbing and wear to finish; very good condition overall. RARE. Devised by Dr. Harlan Tarbell and advertised as part of his famous Tarbell Course in Magic, the Orange Vase was offered for sale for $8.50 in the 1920s. Tarbell worked in Chicago, but the prop was crafted in Los Angeles. Thayer was the acknowledged master magical craftsman of the era, and arguably the finest wood turner in the field. The Orange Vase is perhaps the finest example of his mastery at the lathe.