According to Pieter van Delft & Jack Botermans (Creative Puzzles of the World, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1978) those of us who travel have all played with packing puzzles - that is the challenge involved in packing a suitcase!
Packing Puzzles are thought to have originated in the Orient with elaborately carved square ivory boxes filled with a large number of odd shaped pieces which completely fill the box. If the pieces were not arranged in the box in a specific order, they would not fit, and the box could not be closed. Subsequently, others developed similar wooden puzzles of this type.
This example, from the Museum's collection is a modern plastic version called Something Fishy. The external box is in the shape of a typical sardine can 8.3cm wide x 11cm long x 2.1cm high. There is a cardboard cover 11cm long x 8cm wide. In the box sit 20 plastic "sardines" approximately 7.5cm long x 2.4cm wide x 4cm thick. Scales are imprinted on each fish, and each has a hole for an eye and one for a mouth. Once taken from the can and mixed up, there is only one way that they can all be "packed" into the can again.
The opener that comes with the puzzle can be used to move the pieces around in the can. Each "sardine" is marked with a letter related to the solution - which is provided on a sheet of paper enclosed in the bottom of the can!
Last update August 10, 2005