#Unlocking #Secrets #Puzzle #Boxes #WorthPoint
If you want to keep valuable items safe or like a good mind challenge, consider a special box you can only open after solving its puzzle. Puzzle boxes—also known as secret or trick boxes or mechanical puzzles—are cleverly constructed with obscured lids, hidden latches, secret openings, and complex mechanisms. Unlocking them requires completing a series of sequential and often complicated moves.
These compact and portable wooden boxes not only hold valuables but also much appeal for collectors and puzzle enthusiasts who enjoy brain teasers. Their intricate designs also make them beautiful and decorative works of art.
SMALL BOXES HIDE BIG CHALLENGES
Various cultures have used puzzle boxes throughout history to secure and store money, important documents, jewelry, and other trinkets in secret compartments. One of the earliest forms traces back to ancient Rome. Some Romans wore puzzle locks in the shape of rings to store personal treasures and keep them safe from thieves, who didn’t know the secret tricks required to open them.
Puzzle boxes provide entertainment and mental stimulation by ranging in complexity. While some are unlocked by solving a maze or removing a steel ball, others require completing a series of moves like lifting, sliding, pressing, twisting, or turning components. Certain puzzle boxes only need one or two moves to open, while the most advanced ones can have more than one hundred, testing your creativity and problem-solving skills. Additionally, some boxes often hide keys within them to unlock a section or for the final opening. Pandora’s box was much easier to open than some puzzle boxes.
If you see a decorative box while thrifting, one surefire way to tell whether it’s a puzzle box is that you won’t be able to simply lift the lid to peek inside. These boxes have no obvious opening, but upon closer inspection, you may see they have panels or a sliding surface.
JAPAN’S PRIZED PUZZLE BOXES
Japan is credited with creating the traditional puzzle boxes that are best known today. First made in the Hakone region in the 1800s, they are some of the most beautiful and sophisticated, and collectors eagerly seek them for their artistry just as much as their challenges.
Called himitsu bako (secret box), they were initially thought to be designed for workers to effectively keep their tools safe and theft-proof since only the box owner knew the secret way to open them. People traveling by carriage also used them to hide their valuables and thwart robbers, who usually overlooked the boxes as only ornamental objects.
Made from various woods with varying colors and textures, including cherry, hinoki, katsura, and sugi, these boxes are handcrafted using traditional techniques passed down for generations and have two decorative styles: Yosegi-zaiku and Zougan. The mosaic-style Yosegi-zaiku features geometrically patterned wood blocks created by gluing together different colored woods cut into various shapes. The Zougan design features various shapes chiseled into the box’s exterior and elaborate landscapes—such as flying geese, Mount Fuji, and mountain lakes—made of thin wood inlay.
SORRENTO PUZZLE BOXES
Other prized puzzle boxes were made in Sorrento, Italy, from around 1860 through the 1960s. These boxes, in the form of books, are typically made of olivewood with hand-painted details. Bluebirds were a common motif, and early examples have an inlaid design, while later ones are partly inlaid and partly painted.
Great for hiding jewelry or other small valuables, the secret compartment and key are revealed when the box is slid forward from its base, and one of the book ends falls.
MODERN PUZZLE BOXES
Among the most popularly collected modern puzzle boxes are:
- Combination: These puzzle boxes require the user to perform multiple actions in a specific sequence to unlock them, like lifting, rotating, and twisting.
- Sequential: One of the most common types, these have multiple mechanisms, including sliding panels, metal balls, and wheels, that must be solved in a specific order to open them. Several popular sequential puzzle boxes are the Medici, Steuerrad, and Viking.
- Sliding: These boxes require the user to slide different parts of it in a specific order to unlock it. They are generally suitable for beginners.
A BOX THAT “BITES”
Though not typical examples, antique trick boxes are related to puzzle boxes and are also sought by collectors. One of the most popular is the folk art trick snake box, made in the 19th century and usually in book form. Collectors are willing to pay thousands for the best examples.
When an unsuspecting person slides the box’s lid, it pulls a string attached to a snake hidden inside and makes the reptile pop out. If that isn’t startling enough, the snake would have had a tiny nail or other sharp object in its head that would poke the person’s hand, mimicking a bite.
COLLECTING PUZZLE BOXES
From antique and vintage examples to modern puzzle boxes, collectors can find various designs, shapes, sizes, and difficulty levels. Some notable makers include Hanayama, Karakuri Creation Group, and Puzzle Master.
While most puzzle boxes are rectangular or square, some are fashioned into shapes like hearts, houses, and pineapples. There are also puzzle box banks that you can easily deposit coins into, but you can only withdraw them if you know how to open the box.
Prices for puzzle boxes depend on age, craftsmanship, and complexity. Most puzzle boxes are in the $10 to $100 range. However, collectors can expect to pay more for antique boxes, as they generally have better craftsmanship and more elaborate and intricate designs. Handcrafted, rare, and one-of-a-kind pieces can easily cost hundreds and even thousands.
Puzzle boxes are fun, challenging, and a clever way to keep your most treasured items and deepest secrets safe.
Adina K. Francis has been a writer and editor in the antiques and collectibles field for more than 20 years. She has a bit of an obsession with the Victorians and thinks that dogs are one of life’s greatest gifts.
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