Tabletop Rolling Ball Sculpture #342

Don’t just decorate—activate your space with art that moves.

This compact tabletop rolling ball sculpture packs four complete tracks into a frame only 26 inches wide. Designed for a table, desk or mantle, it doesn't need much room to become the thing everyone notices. There is always a marble moving somewhere, another disappearing into a spiral, or something getting ready to happen.

A quiet, speed-adjustable helical lift continuously carries the 1" glass marbles to the top. Three track splitters send them onto four different paths, so the route changes from ball to ball. Turn the lift down for slow, relaxing movement or speed it up when you want more activity.

There is a surprising amount packed into this one: two tall skinny spirals, three flat spirals, several sections of wavy track, three large dips, a tipping arm and plenty of long, curving track.

One of my favorite sections is the four-inversion loop-d-loop. The marble exits the final loop at high speed and runs directly into a "balls on track" element, transferring its energy to the waiting marbles and sending them on their way.

Eventually all four paths empty onto the large steel collection plate at the bottom. The marbles wander across the plate, merge back into a single line and return to the helical lift to start all over again.

At 26" wide × 22" high × 12" deep, #342 is a lot of rolling ball sculpture in a relatively small package—four tracks, plenty of kinetic elements and constant movement without taking over the room.

Handmade from 100% stainless steel and TIG welded.