Home Posts tagged "puzzle" (Page 21)

Tag: puzzle

Puzzle: Cher Bourges Cathedral


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: The Canadian Group, Sure-Lox, Churches and Cathedral series
Notes: Bourges Cathedral (Cathedrale Saint-Etienne de Bourges) is a cathedral, dedicated to Saint Stephen, located in Bourges, France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Bourges.

It is based on the Notre-Dame in Paris but with significant differences in design. The cathedral is noted for its unique feats of architecture, impressive sculptures and thirteenth-century stained glass windows.

Bourges Cathedral has a highly unique floor plan. It has no transepts, which form the cross-shape of most churches. This lends the cathedral a unique appearance inside and out. On the exterior, thick walls and a myriad of flying buttresses support the unbroken weight of the long nave (122m).

Bourges Cathedral retains almost all its original ambulatory glass (apart from the axial chapel), dating from about 1215. The iconography used in many of these windows uses typology (such as Old Testament episodes prefiguring events in the life of Christ) and symbolism (such as the pelican  who pecks her breast to feed her young on her own blood and the lioness who licks the malformed cub into shape) to communicate theological messages. Other windows show the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, the story of Dives and Lazarus, and the Apocalypse. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Cape Code Shed by Barbara Mock


Size: 300 pieces
Dimensions: 45.72cm x 60.96cm
Producer:  Karmin International
Painting: photo
Box: photo
Artist: Barbara Mock – American Impressionist Barbara Mock, is well known for her florals and still lives, peaceful scenics, charming cottages, ivy-framed birdhouses, whimsical gardening angels, delicate tea pots and tea cups and colorful dried flower wreaths. Her unique style of oil painting is structured with a strong sense of design and embellished with brush strokes varying from thin to bold. Barbara creates delicate lace patterns and strong substantive blends of subdued color in subtle contrast with an inner strength and romantic flavor so perfect for traditional decor. [Bentley Group Publishing site]

Puzzle: Hogwarts Castle, Harry Potter


Size: 550 pieces
Producer: Mattel (I believe)
Notes: I do not have a record of the producer of the puzzle as I do not have the box anymore. A clarification is welcome – if you have any clue as to the details regarding this puzzle, I would much appreciate that information.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or simply Hogwarts is the primary setting for the first six books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, with each book lasting the equivalent of one school year. It is a fictional boarding school of magic for witches and wizards between the ages of eleven and seventeen.

Rowling has suggested that she may have inadvertently taken the name from the hogwort plant (Croton capitatus), which she had seen at Kew Gardens some time before writing the Harry Potter series.

In the novels, Hogwarts is located somewhere in Scotland. The school has numerous charms and spells on and around it that make it impossible for a Muggle  (i.e., a non-magical person) to locate it. Such people cannot see the school; rather, they see only ruins and several warnings of danger. The castle has extensive grounds with sloping lawns, flowerbeds and vegetable patches, a loch (called The Black Lake), a large dense forest (called the Forbidden Forest), several greenhouses and other outbuildings, and a full-size Quidditch pitch. There is also an owlery, which houses all the owls owned by the school and those owned by students. It should be noted that some rooms in the school tend to “move around”, and so do the stairs in the grand staircase. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Waits River, Vermont


Size: 500 pieces
Notes: I do not have a record of the producer of the puzzle as I do not have the box anymore. A clarification is welcome – if you have any clue as to the details regarding this puzzle, I would much appreciate that information.

The Waits River is a 39.4 km-long river in eastern Vermont in the United States. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound. According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as “Wait’s River” and as “Ma-houn-quam-mas-see.”

The Waits River rises in southwestern Caledonia County in the town of Groton and shortly enters Orange County, where it flows generally southeastwardly through the towns of Orange, Topsham, Corinth and Bradford, to the village of Bradford where it joins the Connecticut River.

In the town of Bradford, it collects a short stream known as the South Branch Waits River, which flows eastwardly from Corinth. [Wiki]

 

Puzzle: Moritzburg Castle, Saxony, Germany


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Big Ben, MB Puzzles
Notes: The original castle was built from 1542–1546 as a hunting lodge for Moritz of Wettin, then Duke of Saxony. Elector John George II of Saxony  had it extended and between 1661 and 1671 the chapel was added after designs by his architect Wolf Caspar von Klengels, a fine example of the early Baroque style. After in 1697 John George’s grandson Elector Frederick Augustus I had converted to Catholicism in order to secure his election as King of Poland, the chapel was consecrated in the Catholic rite. Between 1723 and 1733, Augustus had the castle largely remodelled as a pleasure seat by the architects Matthaus Daniel Poppelmann and Zacharias Longuelune, including a formal park, several ponds and a game preserve. The last resident from the House of Wettin was Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony, dispossessed in 1945 by the Soviet Military Administration in Germany. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Frog Business



Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51cm x 69cm
Producer: Serendipity Puzzles
Artist: Lori Anzalone
Notes: Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura (meaning “tail-less”, from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin salere (salio), “to jump”). Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes and the absence of a tail. Frogs are widely known as exceptional jumpers, and many of the anatomical  characteristics of frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance. Due to their permeable skin, frogs are often semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but move easily on land. They typically lay their eggs in puddles, ponds or lakes, and their larvae, called tadpoles, have gills and develop in water. Adult frogs follow a carnivorous diet, mostly of arthropods, annelids and gastropods. Frogs are most noticeable by their call, which can be widely heard during the night or day, mainly in their mating season.

In addition to their ecological importance, frogs have many cultural roles, such as in literature, symbolism and religion, and they are also valued as food and as pets. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Ocean Terrace


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 73cm x 48.6cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Notes: An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.

More than half of this area is over 3,000 metres deep. Average oceanic salinity is around 3.5% Scientists estimate that 230,000 marine species are currently known, but the total could be up to 10 times that number. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Volcano Moon


Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 48.1cm x 64.8cm
Producer: RoseArt, Borders series
Box: photo
Artist: A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet’s surface or crust, which allows hot magma, volcanic ash and gases to escape from below the surface. The word volcano is derived from the name of Vulcano, a volcanic island in the Aeolian Islands of Italy whose name in turn originates from Vulcan, the name of a god of fire in Roman mythology.

Volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging. A mid-oceanic ridge, for example the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, has examples of volcanoes caused by divergent tectonic plates pulling apart; the Pacific Ring of Fire has examples of volcanoes caused by convergent tectonic plates coming together. By contrast, volcanoes are usually not created where two tectonic plates slide past one another. Volcanoes can also form where there is stretching and thinning of the Earth’s crust in the interiors of plates, e.g., in the East African Rift, the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field and the Rio Grande Rift in North America. [Wiki]

Puzzle: St. Mark’s Basilica, Italy


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 48.26 cm x 35.56 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Notes: The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, northern Italy. It is the most famous of the city’s churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and connected to the Doge’s Palace.

The exterior of the basilica is divided in three registers: lower, upper, and domes. In the lower register of the facade five round-arched portals, enveloped by polychrome marble columns, open into the narthex through bronze-fashioned doors. Above the central door round three bas-relief cycles of Romanesque art. The external cycle frames a 19th century gilded mosaic (Last Judgment) that replaced a damaged one with the same subject (during the centuries many mosaics had to be replaced inside and outside the basilica, but subjects were never changed). Mosaics about St Mark relics’ stories are in the lunettes  of the lateral portals; the first on the left is the only one in the facade preserved from the 13th century. In the upper register, from the top of ogee arches, statues of Theological and Cardinal Virtues, four Warrior Saints and St Mark watch over the city. Above the large central window of the facade, under St Mark, the Winged Lion (his symbol) holds the book quoting “Pax Tibi Marce Evangelista Meus” (Peace to you Mark my evangelist). In the lunettes of the lateral ogee arches are four gilded mosaics renewed in the 17th century. In the center of the balcony the Greek Horses face the square. [Wiki]

Puzzle: The End of a Perfect Day, by Darrell Bush


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 50.8 cm x 68.58 cm
Producer: Karmin International, The art of Darrell Bush series
Artist: Darrell Bush – Awared-winning artist Darrell Bush brilliantly captures the unspoiled, simple beauty of the outdoors. From a North Woods campsite to a polished wooden runabout resting on a quiet lake, Bush’s acrylics suggest that these peaceful settings are only a memory away. He familiarizes the viewer with outdoor and wildlife subjects while often adding a touch of nostalgia.

In 1984,after graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in commercial art from Northern Illinois University, Bush moved to Minnesota and worked as a commercial illustrator for five years. “It was during this time I began pursuing a second career, my true love, wildlife art,” he said. In 1987, he won his first major award, the Idaho Uploand Game Stamp Competition. In 1990, he became a full-time artist and one year later signed with Hadley House.

Since then, Bush’s success has escalated dramatically. He received international recognition when he was chosen for the September, 1996 “Wonders of Nature” exhibit in Hong Kong. U.S.ART named him among America’s Most Popular Artists in 1995, 1996 and 1998.

He and his family reside in Moline. [Puzzle box, mistakes omitted]

 

By the same artist the other puzzles available in the series are: “Crescent Moon Bay”, “Autumn Lake”, “Twilight Calm”.

Puzzle: Japanese Garden


Size: 750 pieces
Dimensions: 59.7 cm x 39.4 cm
Producer: Sure-Lox
Notes: A catalogue of features “typical” of the Japanese garden may be drawn up without inquiring deeply into the aesthetic underlying Japanese practice. Typical Japanese gardens have at their center a home from which the garden is viewed. In addition to residential architecture, depending on the archetype, Japanese gardens often contain several of these elements:

* Water, real or symbolic.
* A bridge over the water, or stepping stones.
* Rocks or stone arrangements (or settings).
* A lantern, typically of stone.
* A teahouse or pavilion.
* An enclosure device such as a hedge, fence, or wall of traditional character. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Audubon – Eastern Bluebird II


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 45.72cm x 45.72cm
Producer: Buffalo Games
Box: photo
Photographer: Richard Day / Daybreak Imagery
Notes: The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a small thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards, and most recently can be spotted in suburban areas. It is the state bird of Missouri and New York.

Adults have a white belly. Adult males are bright blue and red on top and have a reddish brown throat and breast. Adult females have lighter blue wings and tail, a brownish throat and breast and a grey crown and back. Eastern Bluebirds are found east of the Rockies, southern Canada to the Gulf States and southeastern Arizona to Nicaragua.

The bright blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or open perch, fluttering down to the mowed grass to capture a grasshopper, cricket or beetle makes this species a favorite of birders. [Wiki]

http://fingeringzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Audubon-Eastern-Bluebird-II-box.jpg

Puzzle: San Francisco, California


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Big Ben, MB Puzzles
Notes: The Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, is a monumental structure originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition  in order to exhibit works of art presented there. One of only a few surviving structures from the Exposition, it is the only one still situated on its original site. It was rebuilt in 1965, and renovation of the lagoon, walkways, and a seismic retrofit were completed in early 2009.

Built around a small artificial lagoon, The Palace of Fine Arts is composed of a wide, 1100 foot pergola, an arch formed by rows of Corinthian columns framing a wide walkway, around a central rotunda situated by the water. The lagoon was intended to echo those found in classical settings in Europe, where the expanse of water provides a mirror surface to reflect the grand buildings and an undisturbed vista to appreciate them from a distance.

Ornamentation includes Bruno Louis Zimm’s three repeating panels around the entablature of the rotunda representing “The Struggle for the Beautiful” symbolizing Greek culture, while Ulric Ellerhusen supplied the weeping women atop the colonnade and the sculptured frieze and allegorical figures representing Contemplation, Wonderment and Meditation.

The underside of the Palace rotunda’s dome features eight large insets, which originally contained murals by Robert Reid. Four of the murals depicted the conception and birth of Art, “its commitment to the Earth, its progress and acceptance by the human intellect,” and four depicted the “golds” of California (poppies, citrus fruits, metallic gold, and golden wheat). [Wiki]

Puzzle: Vila Real de Santo António, Algarve, Portugal


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Big Ben, MB Puzzles
Notes: Vila Real de Santo Antonio was erected at great speed, in only two years time (construction took place between 1774 and 1776). The Marquis of Pombal was responsible for its planning. He designed the town in a Pombaline orthogonal grid. In a pioneering technique, entire buildings were prefabricated in pieces outside the city, and then transported to their final destination to be assembled. This procedure permitted a fast and methodical construction of the town.

Vila Real de Santo Antonio started to thrive by the end of the 19th century thanks to the growth of the fish industry and concentration of fish-processing plants in the city. Tuna and sardine were particularly important to the city’s economy. In 1886, it became the first city in the Algarve to have gas lighting installed. The fish industry came to a decline in the 1960s and tourism quickly took over as the principal income generator.

Several artists were born and/or worked in Vila Real de Santo Antonio, providing a rich heritage in literature and visual arts. The native poet Antonio Aleixo was particularly prominent. [Wiki]

Puzzle: New Palace Gardens, Warwickshire, England


Size: 1000 pieces
Dimensions: 51.12cm x 66.52cm
Producer: Big Ben, MB Puzzles
Notes: Warwickshire is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon. Even today, road signs at the county boundary describe Warwickshire as “Shakespeare’s County”. The county has also produced other literary figures such as George Eliot (from Nuneaton), Rupert Brooke (from Rugby), and Michael Drayton from Hartshill.

Much of western Warwickshire, including that area now forming part of Birmingham and the West Midlands, was covered by the ancient Forest of Arden  (most of which was cut down to provide fuel for industrialisation). Thus the names of a number of places in the northwestern part of Warwickshire end with the phrase “-in-Arden”, such as Henley-in-Arden, Hampton-in-Arden and Tanworth-in-Arden. The remaining area, not part of the forest, was called the Felden – from fielden. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Fairy Tales


Size: 54 large pieces
Dimensions: 38 cm x 61 cm
Producer: Djeco, Discovery Puzzle series, 4-6 years old
Notes: All around one big picture in the centre, lots of things to find! Start by putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, then have fun finding items from the border in the picture in the centre. [Puzzle box]

It took me about 5-10 minutes to assemble in a leisurely pace. I think it would be great for kids. There are lots of fairy tale characters – witch, vampire, ghost, dragon, demon, a variety of royal representation, animals, and monsters. I shall save this one for descendants.

Puzzle: The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci


Size: 1000 pieces, 1 missing
Dimensions: 51 cm x 73.5 cm
Producer: Gospel Puzzle, #98-10
Notes: The Last Supper (Italian: Il Cenacolo or L’Ultima Cena) is a 15th century mural painting in Milan created by Leonardo da Vinci for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza and his duchess Beatrice d’Este. It represents the scene of The Last Supper from the final days of Jesus as narrated in the Gospel of John 13:21, when Jesus announces that one of his Twelve Apostles would betray him.

The Last Supper specifically portrays the reaction given by each apostle when Jesus said one of them would betray him. All twelve apostles have different reactions to the news, with various degrees of anger and shock. Bartholomew, James, son of Alphaeus and Andrew form a group of three, all are surprised. Judas Iscariot, Peter and John form another group of three. Judas is wearing green and blue and is in shadow, looking rather withdrawn and taken aback by the sudden revelation of his plan. They are followed by Jesus. Apostle Thomas, James the Greater and Philip are the next group of three. Matthew, Jude Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot are the final group of three. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Hidden Pictures by Larry Evans


Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 45.72 cm x 60.96 cm
Producer: Great American Puzzle Factory
ISBN: 1-878729-27-6
Notes: Find the 49 Hidden Objects!

As the brave knight rescues the fair maiden from the horrible dragon, he is unaware of the hidden objects that surround him.

Hidden in the picture are:

Saddle, Giraffe, Indian Chief, Hippo, Two lions, Shark, Whale, Brontosaurus, Chicken, Jigsaw puzzle piece, Egret, Panda, Rabbit, Bear, Dob, Parrot, Ostrich, Skeleton, Pliers, Hammer, Blacksmith, swan, Lobster, Weathervane, Walrus, Toucan (bird with a long beak), Eagle, Ladybug, Mouse, Frog, Bell, Bride, Bull, Unicorn, Skier, Baseball, bald headed man, Alligator, Suit of armor, Goldfish, Ballet dancer, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Clown policeman, Woolly Mammoth, Antique auto, Baby, Two acrobats on the flying trapeze, Turkey, Hat. [Puzzle box]

Puzzle: Angkor Wat, Cambodia


Size: 500 pieces
Dimensions: 38 cm x 52 cm
Producer: TOMAX, #61101
Notes: Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II  in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. It is the world’s largest religious building. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country’s prime attraction for visitors. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early South Indian Hindu architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat  and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx  of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs and for the numerous devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls. [Wiki]

Puzzle: Wizard by Keith Birdsong


Size: 550 pieces
Dimensions: 61cm x 46cm
Producer: Ceaco, Glow in the Dark series, # 2333-33
Artist: Keith Birdsong
Original: photo
Notes: A self-taught artist, Keith Birdsong has illustrated several hundred book jackets for publishers such as Pocket Books, New American Library, Harlequin, Scholastic, Berkley, Random House and so on… His works have encompassed science fiction, fantasy, action adventure, suspense, horror, young adult, romance, and licensing. He is very well known for his work with Paramount and Pocket’s “Star Trek” books, posters and The Hamilton Collection collector’s plate series. Keith has also worked on many assignments with the U.S. Postal Service which have included 13 postage stamps and many combative collectable’s…one of which is on display in the Smithsonian in D.C. [Artworks Illustration site]