No imprint or date, but German, circa 1860. A pine box, with sliding lid, containing two hardwood squares comprised of different shaped and naturally coloured wood pieces, together with four colour-printed sheets of designs. The sliding lid bears a pictorial colour-printed title label. Box: 265 x 265 x 30 mm. Clean tear in one sheet, without loss; box a little worn, and label worn also; else a remarkably good example of an unusually large puzzle.

Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1835. [4], 148 pages. Original cloth with printed label to the spine. 170 x 110 mm. First edition. Some gathers unopened. A fine copy. The author’s name is given by a riddle on the title: ‘The author himself is a shallow charade; You can see through his first, through his second can wade.’

Germany: F. Ad. Richter & Cie, No date [circa 1930’s]. Comprising of a cardboard box containing an egg-shaped stone puzzle of 9 pieces; and a booklet with 48 pages of diagrams showing the puzzles that can be made from the pieces. The inside of the box lid has a diagram showing how the egg should be assembled. One piece chipped; else a very good example of this puzzle.