F Ad Richter & Cie.
‘Zoological Garden’ Tangram
circa 1912 (?)
A kind of puzzle which requires an appreciation of simplicity and a good deal of innate cleverness, this mint tangram set offers a lovely collection of intricately-composed animals to make. Whether one fancies blocking together the form of a grumpy vulture, an elephant calf or even a fire-breathing rat, the twelve geometrical brick-like slabs allow one to expand beyond the realm of a limited reality and into one of strange and fantastical possibility. Each slab has at least three sides with which to play and match to another’s, an act that relentlessly imposes on one’s imagination (if present) the question of whether the pairing is a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. Those who enjoyably master a game as this are those who predominantly respond with a ‘yes’ and who do not shy away from the resulting never-before-seen imagery of a creatively opportunistic hand. On the contrary, those who easily find this game frustrating are likely those who lack patience and who frequently respond with a ‘no’, even when presented with a beautiful day on which to leisurely sky-gaze and forage for shy shapes among the clouds.
