Home Archive by category "Puzzles" (Page 19)

Category: Puzzles

Puzzle: Cottage Thatch, County Limerick, Ireland


Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 68.58cm x 48.26cm
Producer: Mega, Windows to the World series
Notes: Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland’s Mid-West Region. Population wise, it is the fifth largest city in all of Ireland.

A limerick is a type of humorous verse of five lines with an AABBA rhyme scheme: the poem’s connection with the city is obscure, however, the name is generally taken to be a reference to Limerick City or County Limerick, sometimes particularly to the Maigue Poets, and may derive from an earlier form of nonsense verse parlour game that traditionally included a refrain that included “Will [or won’t] you come (up) to Limerick?” [Wiki]

Puzzle: Colourful Bug


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Impressions series
Notes: The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle and Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen (VW) from 1938 until 2003. With over 21 million manufactured in an air-cooled, rear-engined, rear-wheel drive configuration, the Beetle is the longest-running and most-manufactured automobile of a single design platform anywhere in the world.

Like its contemporaries, the Mini, the Citroen 2CV, and the Fiat 500, the Beetle has long outlasted predictions of its lifespan. It has been regarded as something of a “cult” car since its 1960s association with the hippie movement and surf culture; and the obvious attributes of its unique and quirky design. (For example, the Beetle could float on water thanks to its sealed floor pans and overall tight construction, as shown in the 1972 Volkswagen commercial). [Wiki]

Puzzle: Villa Coastline by Ming Feng


Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 61cm x 46cm
Producer: Hasbro, Milton Bradley, Picture Perfect series
Artist: Ming Feng was born on June 14, 1957 in Guangzhou (formerly Canton), China. Guangzhou, known as the “Flower City,” is situated in a subtropical area surrounded by lush trees, crisscrossing rivers and babbling brooks. “Nature’s beauty stirred my longing for art and its colorfulness gave wings to my imagination. I could not help but attempt to capture its beauty on paper. Perhaps that was the burgeoning of my passion for art. I was twelve.”

In 1988, Ming immigrated to the United States with his parents and settled in New York. The diversity of art there broadened his horizon while the market offered him more opportunities to show his paintings. He lived near New England’s Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, which today still remain his favorite places and the sources of his inspiration. [Framing Box site]
Notes: Beautiful puzzle cut with gaps being nearly invisible. Pieces fit together perfectly and there is no paper dust. A pleasure to assemble, glue, and display.

Puzzle: Die Jungfrau by Gustav Klimt


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 68cm x 48cm
Producer: Educa, Golden Art series, 7.127
Artist: Gustav Klimt (July 14, 1862 – February 6, 1918) was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. His major works include paintings, murals, sketches, and other art objects. Klimt’s primary subject was the female body, and his works are marked by a frank eroticism—nowhere is this more apparent than in his numerous drawings in pencil. [Wiki]
Painting: photo
Notes: The Virgin (Due Jungfrau) was painted by Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt in 1913. It depicts a woman, The Virgin, lying on a bed of flowers, surrounded by a number of other women. They are covered in cloth decorated in different patterns and symbols. As is often the case with Klimt, round shapes and symbols are used for females, which in this case means all the subjects. The flowerbed itself is surrounded by empty darkness, thus drawing our eyes to the women at the center of the painting.

Klimt partner, Emilie Flöge, is the blank face of the woman at the center of the painting. [Art-Reproductions.net site]

Puzzle: Black or White by Marino Degano


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 68cm x 48cm
Producer: Heye
Artist: Marino Degano (born 22 June 1960 in Udine in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy ) is an author, cartoonist and illustrator in Italy.

He is the creator of the comic strip La Cucaracha, published monthly in Science et Vie Junior. He is the author of drawings for the European press as well as numerous published by Heye puzzles in Munich.

Born in Italy, Marino Degano arrived in Germany at the age of two years. He grew up in Baden Baden in southern Germany, and studied at the School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg. He published his first book “Focus on dragons” in 1986 by Glénat. He works as a freelance illustrator since 1985. [Wiki translation]
Notes: Degano has produced a very interesting chess game. The Statue of Liberty, a Trojan horse, a few machine guns and Knights that have some problems staying horsed. [Southwest Puzzles site]

Puzzle: Plaza de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73cm x 48.57cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Classic Treasures series
Notes: The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid.

The fountain of Cibeles is found in the part of Madrid commonly called the Paseo de Recoletos. This fountain, named after Cybele (or Ceres), Roman goddess of nature, is seen as one of Madrid’s most important symbols. The Cibeles fountain depicts the goddess, sitting on a chariot pulled by two lions. The fountain was built in the reign of Charles III and designed by Ventura Rodriguez  between 1777 and 1782. The goddess and chariot are the work of Francisco Gutierrez and the lions by Roberto Michel. The fountain originally stood next to the Buenavista Palace, and was moved to its present location in the middle of the square in the late 19th century. Up until the 19th century both the fountain of Neptune and Cibeles looked directly at each other, until the city council decided to turn them round to face towards the centre of the city. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Tulip Town, Mount Vernon, WA, U.S.A.


Size: 1000 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 48.10cm x 67.96cm
Producer: Kodacolor
Location: The Degoede Brothers immigrated from Holland, eventually starting their own businesses, in 1948. Henry, the eldest, started DeGoede Bulb Farm in the Skagit County, and later moving to Mossyrock, WA. John DeGoede moved to Sumner and started the Windmill Gardens’ Nursery greenhouse and show gardens. Both Henry and John have retired, passing respective flower businesses on to their sons who now own and operate them.

Anthony Degoede, owner of the Skagit Valley Bulb Farm, immigrated from Holland to Canada in 1956, then moved to Mount Vernon in 1957 where he joined his brothers Henry and John. Anthony also helped his oldest brother Henry establish Chuckanut Show Gardens. He managed the Neal Noorlag Bulb Farm until 1983, then purchased his business which now is known as ‘Lil Tulip Town which he started twenty years ago. The family operates their bulb farm together. Their goal is to keep this farm in good agricultural production, which includes beautiful apple tree hedging which serve as car dividers. [Tulip Town site]

Puzzle: Fruitful Bounty


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 33.02cm x 48.26cm
Producer: 2005 Warren Industries, Kodacolor, #20500
Location: A bounty (from Latin bonitās, goodness) is a payment  or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money. By definition bounties can be retracted at any time by whomever issued them.

The term bounty is used in the mathematics, computer science, and free culture communities to refer to a reward offered to any person willing to take on an open problem in that domain; for instance, implementing a feature or finding a bug in an open source software program. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Neuschwanstein Castle


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Images
Notes: Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein) is a 19th-century Gothic Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Fussen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner.

The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle and later, similar structures. Neuschwanstein embodies both the contemporaneous architectural fashion known as castle romanticism (German: Burgenromantik), and Ludwig II’s immoderate enthusiasm for the operas of Richard Wagner. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Venetian Masks


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox
Notes: Venetian masks are a centuries-old tradition of Venice, Italy. The masks are typically worn during the Carnevale (Carnival of Venice), but have been used on many other occasions in the past, usually as a device for hiding the wearer’s identity and social status. The mask would permit the wearer to act more freely in cases where he or she wanted to interact with other members of the society outside the bounds of identity and everyday convention. It was useful for a variety of purposes, some of them illicit or criminal, others just personal, such as romantic encounters.

Venetian masks are characterized by their ornate design, featuring bright colours such as gold or silver and the use of complex decorations in the baroque style. Many designs of Venetian masks stem from Commedia dell’arte. They can be full-face masks (e.g. the bauta) or eye masks (e.g. the Columbina). [Wiki]

Puzzle: Rio dela Martha by Vadik Suljakov


Size: 305 pieces
Dimensions: 42.86 cm x 50.48 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Mosaics series, #75300-2
Artist: Vadik Suljakov
Painting: photo
Notes: Unique Pieces Create a Mosaic Effect. Real Cork. [Puzzle box]

Rio is the Portuguese word for river. [Wiki]

Martha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to Jesus’ resurrection of her brother, Lazarus. The name Martha is a Latin transliteration of the Koine Greek, itself a translation of the Judæo-Aramaic Martâ, “The mistress” or “the lady”. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Tulips Vienna


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox
Notes: Although tulips are often associated with The Netherlands, commercial cultivation of the flower began in the Ottoman Empire. The tulip, or lale (from Persian لاله, lâleh) as it is also called in Iran and Turkey, is a flower indigenous to a vast area encompassing arid parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe. The word tulip, which earlier appeared in English in forms such as tulipa or tulipant, entered the language by way of French tulipe and its obsolete form tulipan or by way of Modern Latin tulīpa, from Ottoman Turkish tülbend (“muslin” or “gauze”), and is ultimately derived from Persian dulband (“turban”).

During the Ottoman Empire, the tulip became very popular in Ottoman territories and was seen as a symbol of abundance and indulgence. In fact, the era during which the Ottoman Empire was wealthiest is often called the Tulip era or Lale Devri in Turkish.

In classic and modern Persian literature, special attention has been given to these beautiful flowers, and in recent times, tulips have featured in the poems of Simin Behbahani. However, the tulip was a topic for Persian poets as far back as the thirteenth century. Musharrifu’d-din Saadi, in his poem Gulistan, described a visionary, garden paradise with ‘The murmur of a cool stream / bird song, ripe fruit in plenty / bright multicoloured tulips and fragrant roses…’. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Aspen Glow Arctic Wolf by John Seerey-Lester


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Keepsakes series, Reusable gift box with magnetic closure, #442220-5
Artist: John Seerey-Lester
Notes: The Arctic Wolf (Canis lupus arctos), also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a species of mammal of the family Canidae, and a subspecies of the Gray Wolf. Arctic Wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and the northern parts of Greenland.

They have lived in North America  for more than two million years. When they find a den, they make a couple of chambers for food and young. Arctic wolves live on the islands of the Canadian Arctic, and the north coast of Greenland, roughly north of 70° North latitude. The Arctic Wolf is the only subspecies of the Gray Wolf that still can be found over the whole of its original range, largely because, in their natural habitat, they rarely encounter humans.

Their habitat is extremely harsh and remote, and few scientists venture into that world during the long, dark winter – even the vast majority of Inuit live further south than the Arctic wolf. As a result, the details of their lives through much of the year are virtually unknown. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Coyote Gulch, Utah, USA


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Churches and Cathedral series
Notes: Coyote Gulch is a tributary of the Escalante River, located in Garfield and Kane Counties in southern Utah, in the western United States. Over 40 km long, it exhibits many of the geologic features found in the Canyons of the Escalante, including high vertical canyon walls, narrow slot canyons, domes, arches, and natural bridges.

The headwaters of Coyote Gulch have their origins along a 22 km segment of the Straight Cliffs, the eastern edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau. These intermittent streams merge to form larger branches, including Dry Fork, Big Hollow, the main branch of Coyote Gulch, and Hurricane Wash. The combined flow from these branches have carved a canyon up to 300 m deep into sandstone layers, before meeting the main channel of the Escalante River. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Moonlight Grace by Klaus Strubel


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Keepsakes series, Reusable gift box with magnetic closure, #442220-2
Artist: Klaus Strubel
Painting: photo
Notes: grace, –noun
1. elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
2. a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment.
3. favor or good will. [Dictionary.com]

Puzzle: Paradise


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73cm x 48.6cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox
Notes: The Paradise garden is a form of garden, originally just paradise, a word derived from the Median language, or Old Persian. Its original meaning was “a walled-in compound or garden”.

The paradise garden takes some of its character from its original arid or semi-arid homeland. The most basic feature is the enclosure of the cultivated area. This excludes the wildness of nature, and includes the tended, watered greenery of the garden. The commonest and easiest layout for the perimeter walls is that of a rectangle, and this forms one of the prime features of this kind of garden. Another common theme is the elaborate use of water, often in canals, ponds or rills, sometimes in fountains, less often in waterfalls of various kinds.

The rectangular or rectilinear theme of the garden is often extended to the water features, which may be used to quarter the garden. This layout is echoed in the four rivers of the Garden of Eden, and much of the use and symbolism of the paradise garden is derived from this connection. The contrast between a formal garden layout with the informality of free-growing plants provides a recurring theme to many paradise gardens. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Unicorn Heaven by Steve Sundram


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Keepsakes series, Reusable gift box with magnetic closure, #42220-4
Artist: Steve Sundram
Notes: The unicorn is a legendary animal commonly portrayed as a white horse with a goat’s beard and a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. First mentioned by the ancient Greeks, it became the most important imaginary animal of the middle ages and Renaissance when it was commonly described as an extremely wild woodland  creature, a symbol of purity and grace, which could only be captured by a virgin. In the encyclopedias its horn was said to have the power to render poisoned water potable and to heal sickness. Until the 19th century, belief in unicorns was widespread among historians, alchemists, writers, poets, naturalists, physicians, and theologians. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA, U.S.A.


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73cm x 48.6cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox
Notes: Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion located on the Central Coast of California, United States. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947 for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who died in 1951. In 1957, the Hearst Corporation donated the property to the state of California. [Wiki]

Depicted on the puzzle is the Neptune Pool.

Construction for the Neptune Pool spanned 1924-1936. Three swimming pools were built on this site, each successively larger.

Unique aspects of the Neptune Pool include the oil burning heating system, the light-veined Vermont marble decorating the pools and colonnades, and four 17-century Italian bas-reliefs on the sides of the colonnades. [Hearst Castle site]

Puzzle: You better be good!


Size: 1000+ pieces (oversized)
Dimensions: 68.58cm x 88.9cm
Producer:  SunsOut, #19208
Artist: Nicky Boehme – Ms. Boehme studied Technical Art at The Oakland Art Institute in California, and went on to become the Art Director of several national art agencies. It was at this time that she received numerous awards as an illustrator and graphic designer.

She has many feature articles on her art in national magazines and trade publications. Her art has been published internationally in several books. Nicky is an artist member of “The National Society of Marine Artists,” and “The Oil Painters of America.” [ArtRev.com site]
Notes: The Christmas tree, also known as a Yule tree, is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century. The Christmas tree is traditionally brought into the home and decorated with Christmas lights (originally candles), ornaments, garlands, tinsel, and candy canes during the days around Christmas. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Tea Rooms


Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.7 cm x 39.4 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox
Notes: A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses or parlors that all qualify under the English language term “tea house” or “tea room.”

Tea drinking is a pastime closely associated with the English.  Tea first arrived in England during Cromwell’s protectorate and soon became the national drink. Tea drinking became a national pastime for the English. As early as 1784, Rochefoucauld noted that “[t]hroughout the whole of England the drinking of tea is general”. Nevertheless, Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, was credited with the invention of afternoon tea in 1840. It spread to other parts of English society by 1864, when the female manager of London’s Aerated Bread Company is attributed with innovating the first commercial public tearoom. [Wiki]