Something personal challenge: I bought the kaleidoscope at an antique store. It's made to look like an antique, but it's not ... it's more of a homemade item/art. The kaleidoscope body is made out of stained glass. The viewing end is at the bottom and contains the viewing lens. The T end of the kaleidoscope is an acrylic rod filled with fluid and bits of color which slide down a spiral slot inside the rod. It works pretty much like a regular kaleidoscope with a prism at the T-end. You twist the rod as you look through the viewing lens and it changes all the shapes and colors. I just noticed while sitting here looking at the photo that it has a crack in it and I'm guessing it's been dropped sometime by one of the grand kids.