A spirited journey through the world of collectible artisan puzzles
Pairing craft cocktails with crafty puzzles
Borg Box (Stickman No. 5)
There is a particular puzzle box on my shelf which has been sitting there for a while, beckoning me. It’s particularly stunning to look at, composed of a tapestry of wooden shapes and types, so it’s marvelous simply as a piece of art. But that’s not why it beckons.
Soba (Buckwheat Noodle)
In many parts of Japan the New Year’s Eve celebration includes a very traditional dish of soba noodles, called “toshikoshi”, which translates as “climbing” or “jumping” from the old year to the new.
Wrapping Box
A great example of one of these annual puzzle box treats with a sense of humor is the “Wrapping Box” by Kyoko Hoshino. It was created to resemble an actual present, wrapping paper and all, complete with a ribbon and little bells. Hoshino likes to incorporate cloth and other unusual materials into her designs. In this case, the puzzle box is all wrapped up in festive cloth. You can feel the box inside, but you can’t unwrap it. How will you open it?
Rotary Box II
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a seven year old boy went to the movies with his grandparents on his birthday. He was just as thrilled as everyone else, watching what would become one of the icons of popular culture in our time.
Secret Base
Would you like to hear a secret? Who doesn’t like to be in on a good secret? Mysteries, codes, hidden treasures, all excite because in part they hold a secret which we might be able to access, if we are clever enough. The allure of the puzzle box relies on the secret, on knowing there is a hidden way in, and on finding it if we can.
The Monkey’s Palanquin
It’s hard to imagine how a simple wooden box can surprise you. Most of the time, it's just a box, with a lid that comes off, just like you would expect. But you still want to open it. The fact that it is a box implies its opening function, and something inside you is compelled by that function. So you try to open it, lift the lid, turn the latch, swing the hinges.
Brothers
Einstein first presented his theory of general relativity on November 25, 1915, in front of the Prussian Academy of Science, which makes this Thanksgiving season one with some serious gravity. General relativity upped the ante from “special relativity”, which he introduced 10 years earlier, by adding acceleration to the mix.
Ambidextrous Hexduos
Get ready to exercise both sides of your brain for this installment. You’ll need the logical left side and the artistic right side to fully appreciate this particular puzzle pair pairing and potion pair pairing, and puzzle and potion pairing.
Writer's Block
At the risk of becoming boxed in, I present a box which turns things inside out for me, as I find myself inside of it. The creative woodworker Tracy Woods Clemons, from Rochester, New York, has been making her designs in wood for many years.
AHA Box
For many designers, the small box may be an aside, an experiment, or a “small” addition to their portfolio. For puzzle crafter Allan Boardman, the small size defines his entire style. His professional education was in aeronautical engineering, and he enjoyed a long career in the aerospace industry. As a hobby, he also had a passion for woodworking and puzzling.
Always Empty Box
On this All Hallows Eve, I present a puzzle box which is “all hollow”, or as its maker, Phil Tomlinson describes it, “always empty”. Phil Tomlinson is a fine cabinet and puzzle box maker from Cincinnati Ohio, who created the “Always Empty” box out of Black Walnut, Curly Maple, Bloodwood, Rock Maple and Pawlownia woods.
Cocobolo Maze Burr
A beautiful hybrid puzzle, created by Kagen Sound (a man whose very name is a lovely hybrid), is the Cocobolo Maze Burr. This stunning piece of puzzle art is made with cocobolo, ebony and holly woods, and is an evolved version of his award winning "Maze Burr" puzzle, which was the “puzzle of the year”, winning both the people’s choice and jury grand prize awards in the 2006 NobYoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition.
Pineapple Down Side Over Cake
Perry McDaniel has created many beautiful puzzles over the past 20 years, some of which he has designed with the dovetail loving Sandfield brothers and some as his own unique designs. He is lately known for his series of “baked goods” which have included puzzle boxes disguised as slices of cake or pie which look good enough to eat.
Topless Box
One of the most ambitious collaborative puzzle box projects in recent times was The Apothecary Box, a puzzle chest created by Robert Yarger (aka “Stickman”) which itself holds 12 individual puzzle boxes created by prominent designers from around the world.
16 Move Puzzle Box
I’m very fortunate to live near one of the best American puzzle makers to have done so in recent years. Kathleen Malcolmson now resides in Houston, Texas, the home of Boxes and Booze as well. A few years ago she produced a series of beautiful Japanese style puzzle boxes with a twist in her workshop in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains outside Cotopaxi, Colorado, where she used to reside.
The Mysterious Wood Puzzle Box
Nestled in the dangerous shadows deep inside one of America’s secret spy enclaves, Quakertown, Pennsylvania, lives Stephen Kirk, who describes himself as a former “technology guy” in the corporate world who specialized in “data visualization / analytics”.
Pirate Box
Lest I be made to walk the plank for insubordination, I present the Pirates Box by Tatsuo Miyamoto of the Karakuri Creation Group. He explains that a pirate ship wharf mural on the wall of the new Sekisyo Karakuri Art Museum in Hakone Japan, the home of the Karakuri group, inspired him to create this puzzle box.
Zougan Book
Akio Kamei of the Karakuri Creation Group (inspirer of many fine boxes and booze) made a series of special book puzzles with differing designs. Some have geometric patterns with classic Yosegi marquetry wood inlay, some have cute stripes in alternating colors, and some have a beautiful “Zougan” style wooden inlay depicting lovely cranes.