The Rubin Vase is a classic optical illusion, kind of the visual perception equivalent of the ball and vase. Discovered by Edgar Rubin and first published in 1915, the illusion is thought to be created as your brain attempts to distinguish the foreground from the background even though it is a two dimensional image. Although often presented in very strong colors, such as the chic black and white above, the illusion still holds its effect (although possibly to a lesser extent) when certain details of the faces, or vases, are put in their places.