Cats Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

by Artifact Puzzles

Product Features

• 258 pieces
• laser-cut wooden jigsaw puzzle
• Made in USA
• 7" x 15"

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5 x 5 x 5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• ASIN: B002WXHLNC
• Manufacturer recommended age: 12 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,310 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Product Description

This 258 piece puzzle shows a 19th century woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi of 53 cats and one octopus (the signature animal of Kuniyoshi). The full title of this work is "Cats Suggested as the 53 Stations of Tokaido." The puzzle pieces have a grid design with numerous cat-shaped whimsy pieces running amok (click on the small picture below the puzzle image to see example pieces), and were designed by Seattle artist Tara Flannery. Please note this image is a faithful reproduction of an old woodblock print, and thus has some authentic wabi-sabi imperfections to it. All our puzzles are made with 1/4" wood. The puzzle is packaged in a large drawstring pouch.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Craftsmanship, May 25, 2010

By 

CurlyQ (Concord, NC) - See all my reviews

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cats Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle (Toy)

I bought this as a gift, because I liked the puzzle I bought for myself so much. This company provides a beautiful puzzle, that can be passed down for generations to enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely puzzle, lots of kitty cats, interesting historical art, December 4, 2011

By 

Daniel T. Egnor - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Cats Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle (Toy)

If you're not familiar with Artifact Puzzles, they're made of wood, which gives them a finer fit and a nicer feel. The images are lacquered for a smooth feel and brilliantly colored with fine detail.

This puzzle is great for cat lovers -- the picture is full of whimsical cats in all poses, and many of the pieces themselves are shaped like cats in various amusing positions. (You will also find the occasional fish, mouse, octopus, and similar.)

The art is by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the masters of Japanese woodcut. The "Tokaido" was the main road from Edo (modern day Tokyo) to Osaka. Travelers were mostly on foot, and the fifty-three stations were government post stations and rest areas. The 53 stations became the focus of illustration and poetry, with several famous woodcut series depicting the unique character of each stop.

Here, the artist is basically having fun by representing the stations as cats. Each cat is labeled (in Japanese, of course) with the name of the stop. I suspect the poses and activities of the cats relate to the nature of each of the stops.

But even if you're not a fan of Japanese woodcut, this is a lovely image with a wonderful depiction of many cats (and the occasional kitten!) doing a variety of cat like things. Cats in 19th century Japan seem pretty similar to the cats I'm familiar with in 21st century North America...