Magic Box

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A leather cube with no visible lock, lid or moving part: a steel frame covered with carved leather outside and soft deerskin inside, with a Celtic Tree of Life and falling leaves on each face, counting one to six like a die. It opens only when the faces are turned up in the right order; a microcontroller and an accelerometer read which way gravity points and compare the sequence with the stored code. Made by Eugene Pik, it took Best in Show at the Society's 2015 Annual, with Craftsman and Salon Ribbons. The photographs follow its making from June to October 2014. The maker's own account on pikva.com, “‘Best in Show’ award at CSCL 65th annual event 2015. The magic box.”; the award from the newsletter for Spring 2015, page 6: “Best in Show Magic Box - Eugene Pik”.