Wooden Toy Pistol Kumiki Puzzle
These beautiful wooden puzzles are called "Kumiki" in Japanese. Kumiki, roughly translates to "woven or interlocking wood." They are also known as burr puzzles. This is an unusual design - looking like an old west revolver!
The first challenge is the disassembly of the 10 wooden puzzle pieces - not too terribly difficult. Then the fun starts! Now it's time to reassemble the wooden puzzle! This wooden puzzle is held firmly together once assembled and the pieces will not fall off.
The puzzle when assembled measures approx. 7 1/4 x 4 1/4 x 1 1/8 inches.
This particluar style is an embellishment of the traditional burr to create shapes of familiar objects. Each puzzle is handcrafted, and each is a small work of art. The workmanship is precise, evident in the fit of the pieces; truly amazing from an engineering point of view.
A common thought is that these puzzles evolved from training projects or assignments given to students by the master woodworkers of Japan centuries ago; an aid in the art of constructing wooden buildings using only interlocking pieces, no metal parts or fasteners. This type of construction proved immune to the effects of earthquakes so common in Japan.
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