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Early Mechanical Puzzles 10th Century B.C. to 19th Century
by Jerry Slocum
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Puzzle Classification
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Major Historical Sources Pacioli, Catel, Crambrook, Novra, etc.
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Luca Pacioli, Italy, 1500
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Chinese Ivory Puzzles, 1840
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Put Together Puzzles Putting the object together is the puzzle.
Form one square from five.
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Archimedes Stomachion [Greece, 250 B.C.], Modern
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Sei Shonagon’s Wisdom Plates (清少納言智恵の板)
Japan, 1743
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Jigsaw Puzzle Spilsbury, England, 1760
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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
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Utamaro 歌麿
Tagasode 誰袖
Japan, 1804
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Emblematical Puzzle England, 1788
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Tangram Puzzle 七巧図
[China, 1813], Japan Replica:1839, China:1825
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Tangram Problems China, 1825; Germany 1818
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Tangram Craze France, 1818
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Take Apart Puzzles Taking the object apart or open is the puzzle.
Find the secret compartment.
Secret Compartment
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Rings With Secret Compartments [Rome, 2nd C.B.C; 16th C.; Jewish, 16th C.], Modern
Closed
Open
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Roman Trick Lock Rome, 100 to 400 A.D
lever
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Masterpiece Trick Lock Germany, 1831
Key Blocked
1
2
3
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“Key” Trick Knife Opened France, 18th C.
Bolster
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Spanish Puzzle Knife Victoria & Albert, Spain, 1699
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Indian Puzzle Purse Ozanam, France, 1725; America, 1890
4 Dice
Stitches
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Brass & Leather Puzzle Purse Scandinavian, 1813
Push
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Puzzle Casket Germany, 17th C.
False Keyhole
Push Keyhole
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Slope With Secret Compartments England, 1800
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Opening Slope’s Secret Compartments
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Desk With Secret
Compartments Rijksmuseum -
Netherlands, 1760-65
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Hakone Four-Direction Trick Boxes Youngblood, Kaneko(金子皓彦); Japan,
mid-19th century
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Four Direction Boxes National Museum of Ethnology - 1818 - 1826
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Trick Springboxes National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden; Japan, 1822
Push Push
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Trick Springboxes National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden - 1813-1829
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Interlocking Puzzles Disassemble & assemble to solve the puzzle.
Assemble a 7-piece burr.
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Le Clerc Engraving France, 1698
Burr
Expanded Burr
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Early Interlocking Burr Puzzles Spain, 1733; Germany, 1785
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Burrs (6, 7, 9, 12 and 24 pieces) [Japan, 1830]; China, 1840 (Ivory)
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Baudenbrecher Catalog Germany, 1862
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Disentanglement puzzles Disentangle and entangle to solve the puzzle.
Remove the Ring.
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Pacioli String Puzzles [Italy, 1500], China 1840, Modern
Cherry Cheat Solomon’s Seal
Alliance
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Chie-no-ito 智恵の糸
(Ingenious String) Japan, 1830
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Chinese Rings
Puzzles 九連環
[China, 200 A.D.] China, 1840 Japan, 1755
Germany, 1785 India, 1832
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Puzzle Vessels Drinking without spilling, or filling a vessel is the puzzle.
Drink without spilling. Solution
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Puzzle Jugs England, [15th C.], 1834, 1859
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Puzzle Jugs China, 1700; Russia, 1785
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Bottom-Fill Vessel Metropolitan, Cyprus, 1,000 B.C.
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Chinese Bottom-Fill Vessels China, [960], Modern; 1770
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Tantalus Cup [Greece, 6th C.B.C.], Japan, 1800-1850
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Goblets with Siphons Russia, 1700
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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?
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Impossible Bottle Puzzle England, 1719
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American Indian Puzzle Peace Pipe U.S.A., [1825], 1890
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Spouting Bowl [China, 220 B.C.] China, Modern
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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
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Magic Mirrors
[China, 220 A.D] Japan, Modern China, Modern