Travel Tangram Puzzle


The shroud of ancient Chinese mystery and folklore has kept this brain teaser at the forefront of international interest throughout the years, attracting the attention of varied greats from Edgar Allen Poe to Napolean. Perhaps adapted from the yanjitu furniture set of seven tables popular during Song Dynasty China, or born of the legend of a sloppy imperial servant who shattered an expensive tray into seven tan-like pieces, we prefer the great American puzzlist, Sam Lloyd’s spoof claim that it was invented 4,000 years ago by the God "Tan”. The object is to arrange all seven pieces called "tans” into one of many possible forms and shapes that contain all seven pieces in a non-overlapping manner - a tantalizingly difficult task, but also extremely satisfying upon completion. Comes in a bool with magnetic board easier to fix and paste, most suitable for travel.

Tangram is an ancient Chinese puzzle--a.k.a. the Seven Tricky Pieces--a small square, a rhomboid, and five triangles of three sizes that are all cut from the same larger square. These pieces can be arranged to form a wide variety of shapes. Most modern tangram puzzles are small, plastic, and not necessarily great fun to touch or see. But this handsome Square Root version stands out because it's big (7.5 inches on each side) and made of smooth, unpainted wood, backed with red felt. An accompanying 16-page booklet encourages kids and adults to experiment with the shapes by showing arrangements that form letters of the alphabet (Roman, not Chinese), numerals, geometric shapes, animals, and people. --Rebecca Hughes