Hypersphaera lopshireum
Rainbow Spotted Superball
According to Chief Sphaeralogist, Henry J. Simonds, H lopshireum is a very rare specimen of bouncy ball. The example featured in the display case below is, in fact, the only one he has found; this despite the commonality of the pattern in the design and retail worlds. No images exist of the ball in the visual record, so the image to the right is actually an earring with a similar pattern by Plain Jane & Co.
(Source: https://plainjaneandco.com.au/collections/spotty-janes/products/spotty-janes-xl-white-rainbow-spot.)
The latin name was given in recognition of children's author Robert Lopshire and his book Put Me in the Zoo (shown below). Like the character in the book, the ball features a rainbow of spots, here on a base of white. It is a smooth, shiny ball formed as a sheeted-skin over a solid core.
2014
Handmade display box made for Bounce! at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.
Materials: Salvaged picture frame, hand-formed hinges, hardware, glass, linen, foamcore, paint, wood, and etched nameplate.
Photo courtesy of Headwater Media,
©2014 Henry J. Simonds
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