'Ourania' Crystal Fortune Telling Ball Die or Dice (Large)

A superb Czech crystal fortune telling ball c.1930.

This rare and unusual piece of Czech glass is a 32 sided die. It was manufactured around 1930 for the purpose of fortune telling but as divination was illegal, it was marketed as a fortune telling game.

As these beautiful crystal balls were individually crafted, each one is unique. They all differ in appearance, size, weight and, as they are now aged, they also differ in condition. From the course of my collecting and research, it appears that there are three sizes; large, being about 3cm in diameter, medium at about 2.5cm and small, being about 2cm in diameter. To tell each apart from the other, I have given each divination ball a name taken from constellations. This beauty has been named ‘Ourania’.

I have written a short blog about these wonderful crystals, so if you'd like to know more, you can read it here at: kimscurios.com

Here are the details for the unique Czech crystal ball, Ourania:

• Meaning - Heavenly
• Size - Large
• Weight – 29.41 grams
• Markings – The numbers are filled with white paint and the 0 has the words - Made in Czechoslovakia
• Condition: Some of the paint has worn away from the numbers. Very good condition with one tiny chip to the middle of the ball near the number 12, no scratches.
• Container – A beautiful vintage c.1930 pewter-like metal jewellery casket adorned with roses on the top and sides and lined with a mustard yellow material with a woven edging.
• Accessories – A black organza bag with gold lace edging and a small Oriental type wooden display stand.

Each Czech crystal fortune telling ball comes with an instruction booklet produced by Kim’s Curiosity Shop from a collection of 1930’s vintage instructions. The booklet also includes a short history of the Czech fortune telling die and information about Czech glass. The booklet is printed on high quality parchment paper and comes in a wax-sealed brown craft paper envelope.