Page 1 Early Mechanical Puzzles 10th Century B.C. to 19th Century
by Jerry Slocum
Page 2 Puzzle Classification
Page 3 Major Historical Sources Pacioli, Catel, Crambrook, Novra, etc.
Page 4 Luca Pacioli, Italy, 1500
Page 5 Chinese Ivory Puzzles, 1840
Page 6 Put Together Puzzles Putting the object together is the puzzle.
Form one square from five.
Page 7 Archimedes Stomachion [Greece, 250 B.C.], Modern
Page 8 Sei Shonagon’s Wisdom Plates (清少納言智恵の板)
Japan, 1743
Page 9 Jigsaw Puzzle Spilsbury, England, 1760
Page 10 Daishinpan- chie-no-ita 大新版智恵の板,
Takashima, Japan, 1795
Shin- hatsumei chie-no-ita 新発明智恵の板 Japan, 1795
Page 11 Utamaro 歌麿
Tagasode 誰袖
Japan, 1804
Page 12 Emblematical Puzzle England, 1788
Page 13 Tangram Puzzle 七巧図
[China, 1813], Japan Replica:1839, China:1825
Page 14 Tangram Problems China, 1825; Germany 1818
Page 15 Tangram Craze France, 1818
Page 16 Take Apart Puzzles Taking the object apart or open is the puzzle.
Find the secret compartment.
Secret Compartment
Page 17 Rings With Secret Compartments [Rome, 2nd C.B.C; 16th C.; Jewish, 16th C.], Modern
Closed
Open
Page 18 Roman Trick Lock Rome, 100 to 400 A.D
lever
Page 19 Masterpiece Trick Lock Germany, 1831
Key Blocked
1
2
3
Page 20 “Key” Trick Knife Opened France, 18th C.
Bolster
Page 21 Spanish Puzzle Knife Victoria & Albert, Spain, 1699
Page 22 Indian Puzzle Purse Ozanam, France, 1725; America, 1890
4 Dice
Stitches
Page 23 Brass & Leather Puzzle Purse Scandinavian, 1813
Push
Page 24 Puzzle Casket Germany, 17th C.
False Keyhole
Push Keyhole
Page 26 Slope With Secret Compartments England, 1800
Page 27 Opening Slope’s Secret Compartments
Page 28 Desk With Secret
Compartments Rijksmuseum -
Netherlands, 1760-65
Page 30 Hakone Four-Direction Trick Boxes Youngblood, Kaneko(金子皓彦); Japan,
mid-19th century
Page 31 Four Direction Boxes National Museum of Ethnology - 1818 - 1826
Page 32 Trick Springboxes National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden; Japan, 1822
Push Push
Page 33 Trick Springboxes National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden - 1813-1829
Page 34 Interlocking Puzzles Disassemble & assemble to solve the puzzle.
Assemble a 7-piece burr.
Page 35 Le Clerc Engraving France, 1698
Burr
Expanded Burr
Page 36 Early Interlocking Burr Puzzles Spain, 1733; Germany, 1785
Page 37 Burrs (6, 7, 9, 12 and 24 pieces) [Japan, 1830]; China, 1840 (Ivory)
Page 38 Baudenbrecher Catalog Germany, 1862
Page 39 Disentanglement puzzles Disentangle and entangle to solve the puzzle.
Remove the Ring.
Page 40 Pacioli String Puzzles [Italy, 1500], China 1840, Modern
Cherry Cheat Solomon’s Seal
Alliance
Page 41 Chie-no-ito 智恵の糸
(Ingenious String) Japan, 1830
Page 42 Chinese Rings
Puzzles 九連環
[China, 200 A.D.] China, 1840 Japan, 1755
Germany, 1785 India, 1832
Page 43 Puzzle Vessels Drinking without spilling, or filling a vessel is the puzzle.
Drink without spilling. Solution
Page 44 Puzzle Jugs England, [15th C.], 1834, 1859
Page 45 Puzzle Jugs China, 1700; Russia, 1785
Page 46 Bottom-Fill Vessel Metropolitan, Cyprus, 1,000 B.C.
Page 47 Chinese Bottom-Fill Vessels China, [960], Modern; 1770
Page 48 Tantalus Cup [Greece, 6th C.B.C.], Japan, 1800-1850
Page 49 Goblets with Siphons Russia, 1700
Page 50 Impossible Puzzles The puzzle is to explain how an object was made.
• Solution: • The balls were
compressed and squeezed through the hole in the top of the bottle.
How did the balls get in the bottle?
Page 51 Impossible Bottle Puzzle England, 1719
Page 52 American Indian Puzzle Peace Pipe U.S.A., [1825], 1890
Page 53 Spouting Bowl [China, 220 B.C.] China, Modern
Page 54 Hero’s Fountains ヘロンの噴水、自動噴水器[Egypt, 1st C.], Japan, 19th Century
(L) 鈴木一義「からくり人形」(学研)、(R) http://www.ishibi.pref.ishikawa.jp
Page 55 Magic Mirrors
[China, 220 A.D] Japan, Modern China, Modern