by daleshrimpton » Oct 12th, '04, 12:21
The thing with the cups and balls is it is an effect that has gone into folk law.
Audiences know what to expect, and have done for at least a thousand years, so therefore they do not need a story.
Besides, having objects go from one cup to another, vanishing , and appearing is so visual , no verbal description could improve on it. In fact a tale of say, how an emperor hid his pearls beneath golden cups, could make the effect a bit twee.( although the example I have just given does have promise...Hmmmmmm.)
You must remember that, in all probability the cups is a version of an old gambling scam, and has only become a magic trick in the last 500 years or so. The paintings of Bosch, and the engravings of Hogarth quite clearly show that this is more than a possibility.
It may indeed be that the shell and pea game, is a lot closer to the original effect than ammars cup routine.
this may explain why there are records of cups performances going way back, but they don't mention any other effects. The performer, was not a magician, but a confidence trickster.
And i can imagine that the magician, introduced the effect to his act, in the same way many card men now demonstrate the 3 card Monte. To warn his patrons about the evils of street gambling, and the inevitable parting with their hard earned money.