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In the heart of Plato's Republic is a morality tale called The Ring of Gyges. The ring allows its wearer to be invisible.

Being invisible allows you to carry out immoral acts.

 

Would you choose to wear it?
And how would I know what you have chosen?

 

 

Plato’s “The Republic” written approximately 380 BC:

 

 

“According to the tradition, Gyges was a shepherd in the service of the king of Lydia; there was a great storm, and an earthquake made an opening in the earth at the place where he was feeding his flock. Amazed at the sight, he descended into the opening, where, among other marvels, he beheld a hollow brazen horse, having doors, at which he stooping and looking in saw a dead body of stature, as appeared to him, more than human, and having nothing on but a gold ring; this he took from the finger of the dead and reascended....”

 

Quite by accident, Gyges discovered that the ring was far more than just a beautiful band of gold...it seemed to possess the magical power of invisibility.  This of course would allow one the ability to do many things...  “Whereupon he contrived to be chosen one of the messengers who were sent to the court; where as soon as he arrived he seduced the queen, and with her help conspired against the king and slew him, and took the kingdom.”

 

 

In performance:

The book may be opened and pages flipped through...the bookmark placed, the story referred to.  The box and ring may be displayed and handled.  The box is then left open and the chosen spectator is given the choice...take the ring and conceal it, closing the box, or leave the ring within the box and as before, close the box.  The box does not need to be relocked, simply closed.  The decision is made by the spectator and the ring removed or left behind all with the performer’s back to the happenings.  Then, once the task has been carried out, the performer turns back around to face the spectator and, using his mental powers, discerns the location of the ring be it within the box or with the spectator...and with that, the question of the moral ethics of the chosen individual...what might they do with such power, should that power work for them?

 

Please note: just if you are wondering...the affects of the ring (as described by Plato) may not be instantanious.  There are numerous sites on the internet where information may be found regarding the story as told by Plato.

 

You as the performer will learn how to determine whether the ring has been taken or left behind.  This does not require the use of stooges, audience plants, mirrors, or cameras...there is no one giving the performer a special signal or cluing him in.  The ring is taken or left behind all with the performer's back turned and the ring out of his view.  The performer needs not to even return to the table where the box rests...no handling of the box is required.

 

Varrying performance routines will be included in the instuction manual, including suggestions on methods that change the odds against your detection, however, you will always know.  One method will utilize the upcoiming release of "Fors" where once ethical choice has been  tested,  it can be removed from the equation, leaving a random individual out of several selected, to take the ring...and you will know which of the chosen spectators has done so. 

 

The Ring of Gyges (pronounced jī'jēz), is kept under lock and key in a beautifull Mooreni box created from exotic African Padauk.  Each Ring of Gyges is hand-crafted in the Mooreni Studio from the finest materials to be found. Great care is given to even the smallest of detail. Each piece of wood is hand selected for quality and grain, then precisely measured and cut to create the required elements. Boxes are hand sanded utilizing a unique method which takes the wood to an incredibly high quality finish, yet not a gloss. Then multiple hand rubbed applications of finish are applied, bringing out the natural qualities in the wood and leaving the finished product as you would expect a well cared for antique should be.  The box is exquisitely lined in black velvet to add elegance and provide protection for the precious ring inside.  Hand-aged brass hardware adorn the box and include a beautiful lid stop assembly that creates a wonderful click-clack sound when the box is opened.  Every Mooreni created piece is a work of art...even the elements no one else will see or handle but you!  The box is fully examinable and beautiful to behold.  The ring itself is gold in color with s slight satin finish, and has a nice weight to it.  Included is a copy of Plato’s “The Republic”.  This is an Everyman’s Library edition that comes with a ribbon bookmark that can be placed by you at any desired page within the book (the story of the ring in the actual book can be found in chapter "Book II", page 35, so perhaps you may want to place the bookmark there).

 

 

Special thanks to Dr. Todd Landman for his assistance with this project and contributions to the instruction and performance manual.

 

 

 

$489.00 US

plus shipping (US  $13.00 / International $26.00)

Shipments within the US will be sent out via Priority Mail.  International orders will be sent via First Class International.  If you are an international customer and wish to upgrade to Priority International for an additional fee, please contact me regarding your order.

moorenimagic@gmail.com

 

Like many of our items, The Ring of Gyges is carefully hand-crafted on demand due to the cost involved with purchasing of materials.  Build time is approximately 4-6 weeks to complete depending on work load.  Periodic update e-mails are sent to keep you updated on the build process, and prior to shipping we will request confirmation of your address.  Upon shipping you will be provided with the method of shipping and a tracking number.  All shipments are sent with tracking.  For international shipments we do our best to see that there are no unexpected costs.  If you have questions about shipping or anything else,  please contact us at moorenimagic@gmailcom  A shipping discount will be applied on multiple item purchases and issued as a refund after payment is completed.

 

PLEASE NOTE:
This item does NOT actually make you, or anyone else,  invisible.  Nor does the ring itself become invisible.  The story of Invisibility comes from Plato's The Republic written approximately 380 BC. 
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