'Grandmother's beads'
Magic Trick
20th century (made)
20th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
'Grandmother's beads', used in stage conjuring tricks.
'Grandmother's beads' was one of the tricks described by Reginald Scot in his book The Discoverie of Witchcraft, published in 1584. Scot, a justice of the peace, intended to expose tricksters who claimed to practise magic, and in so doing wrote a book now regarded as the first work on conjuring. A number of versions of the bead trick exist. In the one most commonly performed, the beads, which are threaded together, are magically removed from the string while its ends are held by a spectator.
'Grandmother's beads' was one of the tricks described by Reginald Scot in his book The Discoverie of Witchcraft, published in 1584. Scot, a justice of the peace, intended to expose tricksters who claimed to practise magic, and in so doing wrote a book now regarded as the first work on conjuring. A number of versions of the bead trick exist. In the one most commonly performed, the beads, which are threaded together, are magically removed from the string while its ends are held by a spectator.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | 'Grandmother's beads' (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Wood and string |
| Brief description | 'Grandmother's beads', used in stage conjuring tricks |
| Physical description | Three wooden beads, oval, threaded together on a string. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by John Palfreyman |
| Summary | 'Grandmother's beads', used in stage conjuring tricks. 'Grandmother's beads' was one of the tricks described by Reginald Scot in his book The Discoverie of Witchcraft, published in 1584. Scot, a justice of the peace, intended to expose tricksters who claimed to practise magic, and in so doing wrote a book now regarded as the first work on conjuring. A number of versions of the bead trick exist. In the one most commonly performed, the beads, which are threaded together, are magically removed from the string while its ends are held by a spectator. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.184-1987 |
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| Record created | July 1, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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