Plate spinning

It is likely it originated in China but it also has a long history in Western countries from evidence in medieval religious manuscripts.

The plate's motion can be maintained by moving the tip of the stick in a circular fashion.

In this type of plate spinning the sticks are inserted in a rack, frame or hole in a table.

Tom Griswold, co-host of The Bob & Tom Show, a syndicated American comedy radio program, occasionally says he wishes he could see a plate spinner on TV again and wants to book one for his staff's annual Christmas party, which Chick McGee cites as further evidence that Griswold is out of touch with contemporary entertainment.

In an episode of the Simpsons, at the Springfield Retirement Castle talent show, one participant does a similar act, but uses the dentures of several of the residents.

During the 1960s & 1970s German performer Wolfgang Bartschelly popularised plate spinning and regularly appeared on television.