Clematis Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscopes operate on the principle of multiple reflection, where several mirrors are attached together. Typically there are three rectangular lengthwise mirrors. Setting the mirrors at a 45-degree angle creates eight duplicate images of the objects, six at 60°, and four at 90°. As the tube is rotated, the tumbling of the coloured objects presents the viewer with varying colours and patterns. Any arbitrary pattern of objects shows up as a beautiful symmetrical pattern created by the reflections in the mirrors. A two-mirror model yields a pattern or patterns isolated against a solid black background, while a three-mirror (closed triangle) model yields a pattern that fills the entire field.