Always on the lookout for super-cool Roman stuff to share with our readers (especially those kinds of things you can enjoy at home–no matter where that may be), the eCool team was particularly thrilled to stumble upon this Bocca della Verita palm reading machine. Nothing livens up a toga party like your very own Mouth of Truth!
It seems that such magical truth-telling machines have been manufacutured in Italy by DPS-Promatic since 1987. The company boasts, however, that their newest model, released in January of this year and seen above, is the best ever!
Made of fiberglass, the machines stands about 3.5 feet tall and can be installed indoors or outdoors. Once plugged in, it attracts customers by speaking in a deep voice, thereby enticing people to put their hand in its mouth, to slip a coin in the slot, and then to wait a second or two while the “mouth of truth” reads their palm. After 30 seconds or so of careful thought, the Bocca della Verita tells all, spitting out a sheet printed with the customer’s reading.
A sample reading on the DPS-Promatic website suggests that the Bocca della Verita doesn’t mince words and cares little for your feelings (it is the mouth of truth, after all):
You sometimes can’t enjoy close personal relationships.
You indulge to luxury and showy extravagant things.
You are not suspicious or over-cautious.
You tend to be unfaithful and are sometimes incapable of loyalty or constancy.
You risk becoming easy prey to jealousy and possessiveness where your partner is concerned.
Your capricious and inconstant nature will make it difficult for you to get on
If that reading is representative of those spit out by this machine, we wonder if you might be better off throwing your coins in the Trevi Fountain!
For more from eCool on the Bocca della Verita, click here.
I LOVE this photo!!! GORGEOUS!
Makes me want to be in Rome