Restoration is a category of magical effect in which an object is deliberately destroyed—such as being torn, cut, or smashed—and is then made whole again, apparently reversing the damage before the audience’s eyes. Restoration employs a blend of sleight of hand, misdirection, and specially prepared props to create the illusion that time or physical laws have been defied. Magical restoration is exemplified by classic routines like the torn-and-restored newspaper, cut-and-restored rope, or the apparent repair of a broken watch.

Restoration effects resonate with audiences because they symbolize the reversal of loss and the triumph of order over chaos. The technical execution of restoration involves precise choreography and, often, secret mechanisms or duplicate items, ensuring that the transformation from destruction to wholeness appears seamless and impossible. Restoration is recognized as one of the eight fundamental types of magic tricks, alongside appearance, vanish, transformation, transposition, penetration, levitation, and prediction. The enduring appeal of restoration lies in its ability to evoke wonder by presenting the impossible act of undoing the irreversible.