aving spent a large portion of my life studying the oldest trick in recorded magical history as both a performer and scholar,  I've often wondered why cups for this classic effect are seldom formed in bronze.  Like many of you, I view cups as functional art pieces.  Many manufacturers have made copper cups and given them a chemically aged bronze patina, but I found it shocking that true bronze cups seem to be about as rare as spotting a giraffe meandering down Rodeo Drive.  According to the Encyclopedia of Art, "All the greatest sculptors have used bronze at some point in their careers" -- So why not cup artisans?

 

While there is no firm consensus on the dates, the Bronze Age is a period of history that lasted from approximately 2,500 BC to 800 BC.  It was a time when this copper alloy became the metal of choice.  Known for its hardness and durability over pure copper, it was used for everything from carriage parts to weapons to statues....of which many remain standing today.

​

While most of these items were forged or cast from this magical elixir of copper and tin, I have taken a different path and chosen to shape the MK BRONZE cups on a lathe.  Each cup created from a solid sheet .04" thick material.  The reasoning was simple.  If I used a CNC machine or poured a molten mixture into a form, the overall balance and weighting of the cup would suffer.  I simply did not want to make that sacrifice.

​

Aesthetically, they couldn't be more pleasing.  Darker in color compared to brass and lighter than copper, they tarnish to a unique mellow glow all their own.  Get your hands on set of MK Bronze Cups and the moment you handle them you will understand why bronze is considered the medium of the masters.

​

​

​