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Wet Cell Kaleidoscopes
From affordable entry-level pieces to magnificent hand blown glass masterpieces, Lotus Scopes offer the kind of viewing pleasure the whole family is sure to love! Each scope is hand-crafted and housed in brass, acrylic or blown glass tubes with a 2– or 3-mirror array. In kaleidoscopes, dry chambers feature high-speed magic reconfiguration for rapid-fire kaleidoscopics; wet chambers decelerate reconfiguration for a graceful, fluid image transition. The “magic” is the material viewed through the scope, and consists of flame-worked glass, glass pieces, and some branching plant material, for a pleasing image which can never be duplicated on multiple viewings. Each chamber in each scope is unique. Each video image that you will see on this site is a demonstration of certain mirror systems and viewing chamber (cell) types.
Wet Cell vs Dry Cell.
The central symmetry (pizza slice-like) is achieved by using two accurately placed mirrors in the scope. The floating objects are in silicone; thus "Wet cell”.
The “Dry Cell” means that there is no silicone in it as there is for the “Wet Cell”. This is why it seems that the image jumps, as opposed to floating as in the wet cell. The three mirrors give a multi-triangle and wider image instead of the two- mirror round image with central symmetry.
Hand Blown Glass Kaleidoscope, The Lotusscopes flagship model; each one absolutely unique, with a bearing allowing ultra-smooth rotation of the viewing chamber which can be wet or dry. Some are a combination of the two. These are two mirror scopes available in various sizes and colors. e.
Brass Kaleidoscope. Etched brass tube features embedded bearing for ultra-smooth chamber rotation. Wet chamber, two or three mirror array 10×2″. $220
