Sleeve Production Okito Williams - Joe Stevens Estate
Availability: Sold out
Collection: All Products, Antiques/Estate, Effects, Exclusives, Other Stage Magic, Parlor Magic, Silk Magic, SME Semi & Exclusives, Stage Magic, Stevens Estate
Provenance - Robert Albo MD., - Mark Burger (BUMA Jr) - Joe Stevens inherited by Mark Stevens. See bottom of page if you are interested in reading some background historical data.
Carl Williams' "Custom Magic" line was inspired by Doc Albo, where he crafted limited productions of specific Okito pieces. Each project was limited at least commercially to 30 pieces - per effect.
The sleeve production has a confusing name that actually makes sense only to those that already understand the modus operandi of how the product works. A better name would have been, The Tube Production. But in the effort of remaining true to history it used Sleeve Production. It should almost be a crime to keep a piece like this stored inside its box because of it's beauty, and the ambience it adds.
EFFECT: The performer removes the top lid and picks the entire tube up with his fingers and in doing so it comes off the non-attached orange base. At this point performer tilts the tube horizontally spanning it from one end of the audience to the other so that they can all see the tube is empty and hollow.
Upon resting the tube back on the base the magician magically produces a variety of colorful silks, and silk streamers.
- This unit comes with the original instructions & original envelope
- This unit has never been used before - it was solely purchased as a collectable
- This unit comes with it's original box. There are Fragile stickers and our company logo stickers on the 3 other sides of the box.
- Comes with certificate of authenticity from Joe Stevens Estate with letter from Mark Stevens notating previous provenance, with Stevens Magic Seal.
- Condition: Very Good. The images are of the exact unit offered. Some linear abrasions and a small area (1/4th') that appear to missing color from transfer on the same side of the abrasions (look for the gimmick side) to view imperfections.
- Approx. Dims: 11" Tall, by 7" Wide at the bottom base X 5 1/2" thick. Weight 3lbs & 3.3 ounces
- IMPORTANT: The linear line that you see on the angle shots is NOT a defect of the piece. It is a camera reflection issue.
- Packaging: Every individual piece will be wrapped with acid free packing paper, no plastics will make contact. The instructions are sealed in a Ziplock 4MM bag. it will then be nested in the the custom printed cardboard box - HOWEVER - then the box that houses the unit will be placed into a larger box for shipping.
Robert Albo, MD., was passionate about the art of magic and had a particular preference for apparatus made by or in the likeliness of Okito (Tobias Bamberg) born in the Netherlands. A very interesting piece of trivia is although this character was modeled to be Chinese, he came up with his stage name as an anagram of Tokyo (obviously Japanese).
The two largest collections of Okito apparatus in the past where owned by Doc Albo (who had the larger collection) followed by Joe Stevens (who had a slightly smaller collection but still approximately 44 pieces). The current owners entrusted with preserving these collections are David Copperfield (who purchased the Robert Albo collection), and Bruce Averbook MD., (who purchased the Joe Stevens Okito collection).
Okito went on to mentor younger magicians and Doc Albo was instrumental in his pursuit of finding craftsman worthy of being able to replicate Okito pieces with fine details especially to the incredibly difficult application of the transfers.
Today there are a few noted craftsman that are proficient of application of the transfers although technology has changed and I would say two that come to mind are Lupe Nielsen (who was taught by Norm of course), and Michael Baker who as I understand was self-motivated and self taught.
