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{{short description|Type of tiling puzzle}} {{other uses|Jigsaw Puzzle (disambiguation){{!}}Jigsaw Puzzle}} [[File:Jigsaw puzzle 01 by Scouten.jpg|thumb|Person solving a jigsaw puzzle]] {{Puzzles}} A '''jigsaw puzzle''' (with context, sometimes just '''jigsaw''' or just '''puzzle''') is a [[tiling puzzle]] that requires the assembly of often irregularly shaped interlocking and mosaicked pieces. Typically each piece has a portion of a picture, which is completed by solving the puzzle. In the 18th century, jigsaw puzzles were created by painting a picture on a flat, rectangular piece of wood, then cutting it into small pieces. The name "jigsaw" derives from the tools used to cut the images into pieces—variably identified as [[Jigsaw (tool)|jigsaw]]s, [[fretsaw]]s or [[scroll saw]]s. Assisted by Jason Hinds, [[John Spilsbury (cartographer)|John Spilsbury]], a [[London]] [[cartographer]] and [[engraving|engraver]], is credited with commercialising jigsaw puzzles around 1760. His design took world maps, and cut out the individual nations in order for them to be reassembled by students as a geographical teaching aid.<ref name=history>{{cite web|last1=McAdam|first1=Daniel|title=History of Jigsaw Puzzles|url=http://www.jigsaw-puzzle.org/jigsaw-puzzle-history.html|publisher=American Jigsaw Puzzle Society |access-date=13 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001019002453/http://www.jigsaw-puzzle.org/jigsaw-puzzle-history.html|archive-date=19 October 2000}}</ref> They have since come to be made primarily of interlocking cardboard pieces, incorporating a variety of images and designs. Jigsaw puzzles have been used in research studies to study cognitive abilities such as mental rotation [[Visuospatial function|visuospatial ability]] in young children. Typical images on jigsaw puzzles include scenes from nature, buildings, and repetitive designs. [[Castle]]s and [[mountain]]s are among traditional subjects, but any picture can be used. Artisan puzzle-makers and companies using technologies for one-off and small print-run puzzles utilize a wide range of subject matter, including [[optical illusions]], unusual art, and personal photographs. In addition to traditional flat, two-dimensional puzzles, three-dimensional puzzles have entered large-scale production, including spherical puzzles and architectural recreations. A range of [[jigsaw puzzle accessories]], including boards, cases, frames, and roll-up mats, have become available to assist jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts. While most assembled puzzles are disassembled for reuse, they can also be attached to a backing with adhesive and displayed as art. Competitive jigsaw puzzling has grown in popularity in the 21st century, with both regional and national competitions held in many countries, and annual [[World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships]] held from 2019. ==History== [[File:Spilsbury jigsaw - John Spilsbury, 1766 - BL.jpg|thumb|left|[[John Spilsbury (cartographer)|John Spilsbury]]'s "Europe divided into its kingdoms, etc." (1766). He created the jigsaw puzzle for educational purposes, and called them "Dissected Maps".<ref>{{cite news|title=The Time of the Jigsaws|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/doctorwho/entries/7f70977c-1c98-318f-9174-1dddfa3565a7|agency=BBC|date=15 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Top 10 facts about jigsaw puzzles|url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/616404/Top-10-facts-jigsaws-puzzles|agency=Daily Express|date=15 November 2016}}</ref>]] [[John Spilsbury (cartographer)|John Spilsbury]] is believed to have produced the first jigsaw puzzle around 1760, using a [[marquetry]] saw.<ref name=history /> Early puzzles, known as dissections, were produced by mounting [[map]]s on sheets of [[hardwood]] and cutting along [[border|national boundaries]], creating a puzzle useful for teaching [[geography]].<ref name=history /> Royal governess [[Lady Charlotte Finch]] used such "dissected maps" to teach the children of [[George III of the United Kingdom|King George III]] and [[Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Queen Charlotte]].<ref>[http://www.hrp.org.uk/NewsAndMedia/TheArtFundKewPalacejigsaw_ Historic Royal Palaces press release "Jigsaw cabinet"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613212211/http://www.hrp.org.uk/NewsAndMedia/TheArtFundKewPalacejigsaw_ |date=2015-06-13 }}</ref><ref>https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1243701/puzzle-cabinet-unknown/ V&A collection; Museum number:B.1:1 & 2–2011; puzzle cabinet</ref> [[Cardboard]] jigsaw puzzles appeared in the late 1800s, but were slow to replace wooden ones because manufacturers felt that cardboard puzzles would be perceived as low-quality, and because [[profit margins]] on wooden jigsaws were larger.<ref name=history /> [[File:Bodleian Libraries, Dockyard and the ship in all its stages (title on box).jpg|thumb|British printed puzzle from 1874.]] The name "jigsaw" came to be associated with the puzzle around 1880 when [[fretsaw]]s became the tool of choice for cutting the shapes.<ref name=history /> Along with fretsaws, [[Jigsaw (tool)|jigsaw]]s and [[scroll saw]]s have also been noted as tools used to cut jigsaw puzzles into pieces.<ref name="Lerno 2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/puzzling-history-puzzles|title=A Puzzling History of Jigsaw Puzzles|date=December 6, 2021|last=Lerno|first=Tina|website=[[Los Angeles Public Library]]|access-date=August 31, 2023}}</ref> The term "jigsaw puzzle" dates back to 1906.<ref name="Lerno 2021" /> [[File:Close up of Hand Cut Jigsaw Puzzle.JPG|thumb|left|Wooden jigsaw pieces, cut by hand]] Jigsaw puzzles first became a craze among adults in the United States from 1907 to 1910, and a year or two later in Europe.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Anne |title=The Jigsaw Puzzle: Piecing Together a History |publisher=Berkley Books |year=2004 |isbn=0425198200 |location=New York, NY |pages=47-62}}</ref> These puzzles were typically made from solid wood, and were often non-interlocking, making them very challenging.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=Anne |title=Jigsaw Puzzles: An Illustrated History and Price Guide |publisher=Wallace-Homestead Book Company |year=1990 |isbn=0870695371 |location=Radnor, PA |pages=10-13}}</ref> Adding to the challenge, there was usually no image on the box. Puzzle historian Anne Williams attributes the 1907-1910 puzzle craze to a mix of factors: a poor U.S. economy in 1907, increased participation of middle- and upper-class women in arts and crafts activities like puzzle making, and the introduction of the foot-powered scroll saw.<ref name=":0" /> Jigsaw puzzles also soared in popularity during the [[Great Depression]], as they provided a cheap, long-lasting, [[recycling|recyclable]] form of entertainment.<ref name=history /><ref name=briefhistory>{{cite web|last1=Williams|first1=Anne Douglas|title=Jigsaw Puzzles – A Brief History|url=http://www.mgcpuzzles.com/mgcpuzzles/puzzle%5Fhistory/|website=www.mgcpuzzles.com|access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> It was around this time that jigsaws evolved to become more complex and appealing to adults.<ref name=history /> They were also given away in [[promotion (marketing)|product promotions]] and used in [[advertising]], with customers completing an image of the promoted product.<ref name=history /><ref name=briefhistory /> Sales of wooden puzzles fell after [[World War II]] as improved [[wages]] led to [[price]] increases, while improvements in [[manufacturing]] processes made [[paperboard]] jigsaws more attractive.<ref name=briefhistory /> Demand for jigsaw puzzles saw a surge, comparable to that of the [[Great Depression]], during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]'s stay-at-home orders.<ref name=cnbc>{{cite web | url =https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/03/coronavirus-sends-demand-for-jigsaw-puzzles-surging.html | title =Demand for jigsaw puzzles is surging as coronavirus keeps millions of Americans indoors | last =Miller | first =Hannah | date =April 5, 2020 | website =CNBC | access-date =April 16, 2020 }}</ref><ref name=NPR>{{cite web | url =https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/13/833346707/with-people-stuck-at-home-jigsaw-puzzle-sales-soar | title =With People Stuck at Home, Jigsaw Puzzle Sales Soar | last =Doubek | first =James | date =April 13, 2020 | website =NPR | access-date =April 16, 2020 }}</ref> ==Modern construction== [[File:Sky puzzle.jpg|thumb|left|Paperboard jigsaw pieces]] Most modern jigsaw puzzles are made of [[paperboard]] as they are easier and cheaper to mass-produce. An enlarged [[photograph]] or printed reproduction of a painting or other two-dimensional [[art]]work is glued to cardboard, which is then fed into a press. The press forces a set of hardened steel blades of the desired pattern, called a ''puzzle die'', through the board until fully cut. The puzzle die is a flat board, often made from plywood, with slots cut or burned in the same shape as the knives that are used. The knives are set into the slots and covered in a compressible material, typically foam rubber, which ejects the cut puzzle pieces. The cutting process is similar to making shaped cookies with a cookie cutter. However, the forces involved are tremendously greater. Beginning in the 1930s, jigsaw puzzles were cut using large hydraulic presses that now cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The precise cuts gave a snug fit, but the cost limited jigsaw puzzle production to large corporations. Recent roller-press methods achieve the same results at a lower cost.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} New technology has also enabled laser-cutting of wooden or acrylic jigsaw puzzles. The advantage is that the puzzle can be custom-cut to any size or shape, with any number or average size of pieces. Many museums have laser-cut acrylic puzzles made of some of their art so visiting children can assemble puzzles of the images on display. Acrylic pieces are very durable, waterproof, and can withstand continued use without the image degrading. Also, because the print and cut patterns are computer-based, missing pieces can easily be remade. By the early 1960s, [[Tower Press]] was the world's largest jigsaw puzzle maker; it was acquired by [[Waddingtons]] in 1969.<ref name="Achievement">{{cite book|title=Achievement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SMkNAQAAMAAJ|access-date=3 April 2013|year=1962|publisher=World Trade Magazines Ltd.|page=31}}</ref> Numerous smaller-scale puzzle makers work in artisanal styles, handcrafting and handcutting their creations.<ref>Charlotte Arneson, [https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/04/jigsaw-puzzles-coronavirus-quarantine.html "The Perfect Jigsaw for Every Type of Puzzler"], ''Slate'', April 10, 2020.</ref><ref>Tracee M. Herbaugh, [https://www.startribune.com/snapping-into-place-jigsaw-puzzles-have-ardent-following/567799042/ "Snapping Into Place: Jigsaw Puzzles Have Ardent Following"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003151833/https://www.startribune.com/snapping-into-place-jigsaw-puzzles-have-ardent-following/567799042/ |date=2020-10-03 }}, Associated Press via ''Minnesota Star-Tribune'', Feb. 12, 2020.</ref><ref>Andy Castillo, [https://www.recorder.com/Deerfield-Puzzlemaker-16600763 "Specialty puzzle uses laser-cut techniques to offer one-of-a-kind offerings"], ''[[Greenfield Recorder]]'', April 6, 2018.</ref><ref>Jennifer A. Kingson, [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/science/07jigsaw.html "Eye for Art and Artistry Amid Jigsaw’s Jumble"], ''[[New York Times]]'', Dec. 7, 2010.</ref> ==Variations== [[File:JigsawSoftware.jpeg|thumb|Jigsaw puzzle [[software]] allowing rotation of pieces]]Jigsaw puzzles come in a variety of sizes. Among those marketed to adults, 300-, 500- and 750-piece puzzles are considered "smaller". More sophisticated, but still common, puzzles come in sizes of 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000 pieces. [[File:Z-puzzle.jpg|left|thumb|Child solving wooden puzzle]] Jigsaw puzzles geared towards children typically have significantly fewer pieces and are typically much larger. For very young children, puzzles with as few as 4 to 9 large pieces (so as not to be a choking hazard) are standard. They are usually made of wood or plastic for durability and can be cleaned without damage. The most common layout for a thousand-piece puzzle is 38 pieces by 27 pieces, for an actual total of 1,026 pieces. Most 500-piece puzzles are 27 pieces by 19 pieces, for a total of 513 pieces.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} A few puzzles are double-sided so they can be solved from either side—adding complexity, as the enthusiast must determine if they are looking at the right side of each piece. "Family puzzles" of 100–550 pieces use an assortment of small, medium and large pieces, with each size going in one direction or towards the middle of the puzzle. This allows a family of different skill levels and hand sizes to work on the puzzle together. Companies like Springbok, Cobble Hill, Ceaco, [[Buffalo Games]] and Suns Out make this type of specialty puzzle. [[Ravensburger]], on the other hand, formerly made this type of puzzle from 2000 until 2008.[[File:Ignis-spindle-fin12.jpg|thumb|left|A three-dimensional puzzle composed of several two-dimensional puzzles stacked on top of one another]]There are also [[dimension|three-dimensional]] jigsaw puzzles. Many are made of wood or [[styrofoam]] and require the puzzle to be solved in a particular order, as some pieces will not fit if others are already in place. One type of 3-D jigsaw puzzle is a puzzle globe, often made of plastic. Like 2-D puzzles, the assembled pieces form a single layer, but the final form is three-dimensional. Most globe puzzles have designs representing spherical shapes such as the [[Earth]], the [[Moon]], and historical globes of the Earth.[[File:Puzzle Krypt-2.jpg|thumb|A puzzle without a picture]] Jigsaw puzzles can vary significantly in price depending on their complexity, number of pieces, and brand. In the US, children's puzzles can start around $5, while larger ones can be closer to $50. The most expensive puzzle to date was sold for $US27,000 in 2005 at a charity auction for The Golden Retriever Foundation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-expensive-jigsaw-puzzle-sold-at-auction/ |title=Most expensive jigsaw puzzle sold at auction |website=Guinness World Records |access-date=2016-03-06}}</ref> ==Puzzle pieces== [[File:Whimsy.JPG|thumb|A "whimsy" piece in a wooden jigsaw puzzle]] [[File:3D Jigsaw Puzzle.jpg|thumb|A 3D jigsaw puzzle]] Most puzzles are square or rectangular, with edge pieces with one straight side, and four corner pieces. However, some puzzles have edge and corner pieces cut like the rest, with no straight sides, making them more challenging to identify them. Some puzzles are round or in a more complex shape, such as profiles of animals, and their edge pieces are therefore curved. Spherical puzzles can have triangular edge pieces. Otherwise, all or most pieces of a modern jigsaw puzzle interlock by means of rounded tabs (interjambs) and indentations (called "blanks") on adjacent sides. The pieces are normally four-sided and may be uniform in appearance except for the edges and corners. Some puzzles are termed "fully interlocking", which means that a group of assembled pieces fit together tightly enough to be moved without falling apart; sometimes the connection is tight enough that a solved section will remain attached when lifted by one piece. Uniformly shaped fully interlocking puzzles, sometimes called "Japanese Style", are more difficult because pieces are hard to tell apart.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} Wooden puzzles fit together more loosely, with few tabs and blanks, because of the limits of the material and the cutting technology. They sometimes include pieces in recognisable shapes such as objects or animals, known as "whimsies", "silhouettes", or "figurals".<ref>{{cite book |first=Anne Douglas |last=Williams |title=The Jigsaw Puzzle: Piecing Together a History |location=New York |publisher=Berkley |year=2004 |isbn=9780425201824 |page=10}}</ref> Designer Yuu Asaka has created monochrome jigsaw puzzles with five "corner" pieces (with two straight edges)<ref>{{Citation|last=Ramsay|first=Chris|date=2019-03-07|title=Solving The HARDEST JIGSAW PUZZLE!! – LEVEL 10!|publisher=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks3vbiCSmKI| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ks3vbiCSmKI| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and consisting entirely of such pieces.<ref>{{Citation|author=Valtiel|date=2019-08-21|title=This puzzle composed only with corners|publisher=[[Reddit]]|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/ctfc61/this_puzzle_composed_only_with_corners/}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Asaka|first=Yuu|year=2019|title=Yuu Asaka interview|publisher=Akita University of art|url=https://www.akibi.ac.jp/interview/23688.html}}</ref> The former was awarded the Jury Honorable Mention at the 2018 Puzzle Design Competition.<ref>{{Citation|year=2018|title=2018 Puzzle Design Competition Results|publisher=International Puzzle Collectors Association|url=https://puzzleworld.org/DesignCompetition/2018/results.htm}}</ref> ==World records== [[File:Guinness Vietnam 2011 (the whole picture).jpg|right|200px|thumb|The Guinness record of CYM Group in 2011 with 551,232 pieces]] The world's largest-sized jigsaw puzzle measured {{convert|6,122.68|m2|abbr=on}} with 12,320 pieces. It was assembled on 7 July 2018 at [[Dubai Multi Commodities Centre]] in [[United Arab Emirates]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2018-07-07 |title=Largest jigsaw puzzle |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-jigsaw-puzzle- |access-date=2025-01-03 |publisher=Guinness World Records}}</ref> The jigsaw with the greatest number of pieces had 551,232 pieces and measured {{convert|14.85 × 23.20|m|ftin}}. It was assembled on 25 September 2011 at [[Phú Thọ Indoor Stadium]] in [[Ho Chi Minh City]], [[Vietnam]], by students of the [[University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City]]. It is listed by the [[Guinness World Records]] for the "Largest Jigsaw Puzzle – most pieces", and was divided into 3,132 sections each containing 176 pieces, which were assembled individually and then connected to compose the full puzzle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Largest jigsaw puzzle – most pieces |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-jigsaw-puzzle-most-pieces |access-date=15 March 2017 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vietnam puts together the world's largest jigsaw puzzle |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2011/10/vietnam-puts-together-the-world%e2%80%99s-largest-jigsaw-puzzle |access-date=15 March 2017 |website=Guinness World Records News}}</ref> ===Largest commercially available jigsaw puzzles=== {|class="sortable wikitable" !Pieces!!Name of puzzle!!Company!!Year!!Size [cm]!!Area [m<sup>2</sup>] |- |60,000||What A Wonderful World||Dowdle Folk Art||2022||883 × 243||style="text-align:right;" |21.46 |- |54,000||Travel around Art||Grafika||2020||864 × 204||style="text-align:right;" |17.63 |- |52,110||(No title: collage of animals)||MartinPuzzle||2018||696 × 202||style="text-align:right;" |14.06 |- |51,300||27 Wonders from Around the World||[[Kodak]]||2019||869 × 191||style="text-align:right;" |16.60 |- |48,000||Around the World||Grafika||2017||768 × 204||style="text-align:right;" |15.67 |- |42,000||La vuelta al Mundo||Educa Borras||2017||749 × 157||style="text-align:right;" |11.76 |- |40,320||Making Mickey's Magic||[[Ravensburger]]||2018||680 × 192||style="text-align:right;" |13.06 |- |40,320||Memorable Disney Moments||Ravensburger||2016||680 × 192||style="text-align:right;" |13.06 |- |33,600||Wild Life||Educa Borras||2014||570 × 157||style="text-align:right;" |8.95 |- |32,000||New York City Window||Ravensburger||2014||544 × 192||style="text-align:right;" |10.45 |- |32,000||Double Retrospect||Ravensburger||2010||544 × 192||style="text-align:right;" |10.45 |- |24,000||Life, The greatest puzzle||Educa Borras||2007||428 × 157||style="text-align:right;" |6.72 |} ==Research studies== Studies have shown that the ability to solve jigsaw puzzles develops during early childhood. During this time there is significant development in cognitive abilities such as mental rotation and [[Visuospatial function|visuospatial ability]], which can be used to solve a puzzle. Throughout life those abilities can continue to develop. In 2021, researchers conducted a study during which a group of children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old were asked to complete three different types of jigsaw puzzles. Each child was given a normal jigsaw puzzle with a picture on it, another with normal shaped pieces but without an image on it and finally a puzzle with an image on it but all the pieces were shaped the same. They were shown the completed versions then asked to reassemble them. The children were given three minutes to complete each puzzle; half of the group was given a guide picture while the other half was not. The results revealed that 4 and 5 year olds were able to complete all three puzzles within the allotted time, meanwhile most 3-year-olds were able to complete the normal jigsaw puzzle and the puzzle of normal shaped pieces without an image on it but struggled more with the puzzle that had an image but all the pieces were shaped the same. With all of the children the fastest completion time was with the normal puzzle and the slowest was with the puzzle with an image and same shaped pieces; there were also fewer errors in with the children that had a guide.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Doherty |first1=Martin J. |last2=Wimmer |first2=Marina C. |last3=Gollek |first3=Cornelia |last4=Stone |first4=Charlotte |last5=Robinson |first5=Elizabeth J. |date=2021 |title=Piecing Together the Puzzle of Pictorial Representation: How Jigsaw Puzzles Index Metacognitive Development |journal=Child Development |language=en |volume=92 |issue=1 |pages=205–221 |doi=10.1111/cdev.13391 |pmid=32726493 |s2cid=219649710 |issn=0009-3920|doi-access=free |hdl=10026.1/15569 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> The cognitive development between the different ages can be seen in their completion times and how many errors were made. The older children were able to complete the puzzles with fewer errors because their mental rotation abilities, which is the ability to rotate an object in your mind to see it from a different perspective, are further developed than they are for younger children who are more likely to resort to trial and error. The difference in the visuospatial abilities between boys and girls were studied in 2017 using jigsaw puzzles. A second-grade class was asked to complete three different puzzles, the first was a neutral one of a horse, second was a male-oriented one of a [[tractor]], and the third was a female-oriented one of the character [[Bambi]]. The Bambi puzzle had the fastest completion time with all the children which is believed to be caused by their previous experience, and because it was finished the fastest with all of the children researchers do not believe there is a connection between the puzzles' targeted audience and the sex of the children. Overall the girls in the class were faster, and made fewer errors.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kocijan |first1=Vid |last2=Horvat |first2=Marina |last3=Majdic |first3=Gregor |date=2017-10-23 |title=Robust Sex Differences in Jigsaw Puzzle Solving—Are Boys Really Better in Most Visuospatial Tasks? |journal=Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |volume=11 |pages=194 |doi=10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00194 |issn=1662-5153 |pmc=5660068 |pmid=29109682 |doi-access=free }}</ref> ==Society== The logo of [[Wikipedia]] is a globe made out of jigsaw pieces. The incomplete sphere symbolizes the room to add new knowledge.<ref name="NYT-20070625">{{cite news |last=Cohen |first=Noam |date=June 25, 2007 |title=Some Errors Defy Fixes: A Typo in Wikipedia's Logo Fractures the Sanskrit |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/25/technology/25wikipedia.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905191053/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/25/technology/25wikipedia.html?fta=y |archive-date=September 5, 2017}}</ref> In the logo of the [[Colombia]]n [[Office of the Attorney General of Colombia|Office of the Attorney General]], a jigsaw puzzle piece appears in the foreground. They named it "The Key Piece": "The piece of a puzzle is the proper symbol to visually represent the Office of the Attorney General because it includes the concepts of search, solution and answers that the entity pursues through the investigative activity."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fiscalia.gov.co/colombia/en/about-us/el-logo-el-himno/ |title='The Logo, The anthem'|publisher=Fiscalía General de la Nación (Colombia) |date=2018-12-02}}</ref> ===Art and entertainment=== The central antagonist in the [[Saw (franchise)|''Saw'']] film franchise is nicknamed [[Jigsaw (Saw character)|Jigsaw]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387564/ |title='Saw' IMDB page |publisher=Internet Movie Database |date=2004-10-29}}</ref> due to his practice of cutting the shape of a puzzle piece from the remains of his victims. In the 1933 [[Laurel and Hardy]] short ''[[Me and My Pal (1933 film)|Me and My Pal]]'', several characters attempt to complete a large jigsaw puzzle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024316/ |title='Me and My Pal' IMDB page |publisher=Internet Movie Database |date=2015-08-29}}</ref> ''[[Lost in Translation (poem)|Lost in Translation]]'' is a poem about a child putting together a jigsaw puzzle, as well as an interpretive puzzle itself. ''[[Life: A User's Manual]]'', [[Georges Perec]]'s most famous novel, tells as pieces of a puzzle a story about a jigsaw puzzle maker. [[Jigsaw Puzzle (song)]], sometimes spelled "Jig-Saw Puzzle" is a song by the [[rock and roll]] band [[The Rolling Stones]], featured on their 1968 album ''[[Beggars Banquet]]''. In "[[Citizen Kane]]" Susan Alexander Kane (Dorothy Comingore) is reduced to spending her days completing jigsaws after the failure of her operatic career. After Kane's death when "[[Xanadu (Citizen Kane)|Xanadu]]" is emptied, hundreds of jigsaw puzzles are discovered in the cellar. [https://digg.com/video/rhett-and-link-puzzle Rhett And Link Do A Rainy Day Jigsaw Puzzle] is a short video by self-described "internetainers" ([[portmanteau]] of "Internet" and "entertainers") [[Rhett & Link]] which portrays the frustration of discovering a puzzle piece is missing. In 2022, [[Andorra]] issued a commemorative 2 euro coin, on the national side of which a figure of puzzle pieces was stamped, symbolising the Principality of Andorra and the countries belonging to the European Union.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/coins/comm/html/comm_2022.en.html |title=€2 commemorative coins - 2022 |publisher=European Central Bank | access-date=2024-10-25}}</ref> ===Mental health=== According to the [[Alzheimer Society of Canada]], doing jigsaw puzzles is one of many activities that can help keep the brain active and may reduce the risk of [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref>[http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/brain/challengeyourself.htm Healthy Brain] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212111954/http://alzheimer.ca/english/brain/challengeyourself.htm |date=2010-12-12 }} Alzheimer Society of Canada Accessed 30 March 2011</ref> [[File:Autismawareness.jpg|thumb|upright|An "autism awareness" ribbon, featuring red, blue, and yellow jigsaw pieces]] Jigsaw puzzle pieces were first used as a symbol for [[Autism spectrum|autism]] in 1963 by the United Kingdom's [[National Autistic Society]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/about-the-nas/who-we-are/timeline/timeline-text-only-version.aspx |title=NAS timeline (text only version) |publisher=National Autistic Society |date=2015-02-09 |access-date=2022-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714144250/http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/about-the-nas/who-we-are/timeline/timeline-text-only-version.aspx |archive-date=2014-07-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The organization chose jigsaw pieces for their logo to represent the "puzzling" nature of autism and the inability to "[[Conformity|fit in]]" due to social differences, and also because jigsaw pieces were recognizable and otherwise unused.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?a=2183&d=364|title=Perspectives on a puzzle piece|publisher=National Autistic Society|date=June 1997|access-date=2022-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023060417/http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?a=2183&d=364|archive-date=2007-10-23|url-status=dead}}</ref> Puzzle pieces have since been incorporated into the logos and promotional materials of many organizations, including the [[Autism Society of America]] and [[Autism Speaks]]. Proponents of the [[autism rights movement]] oppose the jigsaw puzzle iconography, stating that metaphors such as "puzzling" and "incomplete" are harmful to autistic people. Critics of the puzzle piece symbol instead advocate for a gold-colored or red [[infinity]] symbol representing diversity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unpuzzled.net/2012/05/02/i-am-not-a-puzzle-from-reports-from-a-resident-alien/|title=I am not a puzzle: From Reports from a Resident Alien|author=Lisa D. (full last name unknown)|publisher=Unpuzzled|date=2012-05-02|access-date=2014-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730054432/http://unpuzzled.net/2012/05/02/i-am-not-a-puzzle-from-reports-from-a-resident-alien/|archive-date=2014-07-30|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, the journal [[Autism (journal)|''Autism'']] concluded that the use of the jigsaw puzzle evoked negative public perception towards autistic individuals. They removed the puzzle piece from their cover in February 2018.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Diament|first1=Michelle|title=Autism Journal Abandons Puzzle Piece|url=https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/02/02/autism-journal-abandons-puzzle/24668/|access-date=March 18, 2018|work=Disability Scoop|date=February 2, 2018|language=en}}</ref> ==See also== *[[Edge-matching puzzle]] *[[Jigsaw puzzle accessories]] *[[Tessellation]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Further reading== * {{cite book |first=Anne Douglas |last=Williams |title=The Jigsaw Puzzle: Piecing Together a History |location=New York |publisher=Berkley |year=2004 |isbn=9780425201824 }} ==External links== {{Commons}} *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXWvptwoCl8 Why don't Jigsaw Puzzles have the correct number of pieces?] – [[Matt Parker]] [[Category:Jigsaw puzzles| ]] [[Category:Tiling puzzles]] [[Category:Mechanical puzzles]] [[Category:Traditional toys]] [[Category:Wooden toys]]
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