The Classic Eight Piece Interlocking Cube Family

In the late 19th Century German wood-turners sold these beautiful puzzles made of fruit woods. The Egg opposite complete with its original box & instructions. The latter in German, French & English.

They are all fundamentally the same puzzle. Eight pieces, two of which have four blocks glued onto them. This is in contrast to the rare early Puzzle Ball shown in an earlier Puzzle of the Month.

After the First World War the Japanese started making these puzzles and have been doing so ever since in huge numbers.

Make a Cube and from this comes many puzzles. Truncate the corners, Chamfer the edge. Turn it into a barrel, then a ball, paint the face of a demon on it.

Below many more. Stick two together to make a rabbit, turn a planet, or elongate one as a baseball bat.

Commercially it is so easy to have just one dissection that can make many different products.

The Ultimate Joke is this very large plain looking cube.

It is actually a Box Puzzle that was made by Master Craftsman Yoshiyuki Ninomiya around 1980.

It contains eight secret compartments.