An antique puzzle called "Le Taquin" (The Sliding Puzzle), presented in an elegant wooden box illustrated in the decorative style of the Belle Époque. The game consists of sixteen numbered cubes arranged in a sliding tray. The principle is to shuffle the cubes and then return them to their original order by sliding them one by one into the open space, without ever removing them from the tray. This mechanical puzzle, very popular at the end of the 19th century, tests the player's logic and patience. The original instructions, pasted inside the lid, also explain a mathematical variation allowing the number 34 to be counted in many different ways using certain combinations of the cubes.
✦ Origin: France ✦ Period: Circa 1900 ✦ Dimensions: approx. 10×10×2 cm ✦ Condition: Good overall condition, slight signs of wear ✦ Contents: Complete with wooden box, 16 numbered cubes, and original instructions under the lid
A fine example of a classic patience game from the Belle Époque , appreciated for its ingenious principle and elegant wooden box.
