Rapping Hand

[Apparatus] Rapping Hand. Maker unknown (likely American) ca. 1890. Disembodied papier mache hand with velvet and lace cuff taps out answers to questions posed by the audience: one tap for "yes," and two for "no." Paint chipped; fair condition. Still a desirable and scarce Victorian-era prop. Thread-actuated Rapping Hands such as this example are far scarcer than the common Thayer-made wooden version, which required a special board to operate.