The Special Box 508 belongs to the series of lidded wooden boxes that Václav Obšivač, the Czech craftsman behind Vinco, numbered from 501 to 514. Each box contains a packing puzzle; the 508 holds the Minibox C2, made up of pieces from the half-cube family. Its faces carry marquetry of eight triangles, which is what the “8TR” in the name refers to.

• BrandVinco
• DesignerVáclav Obšivač
• TypePacking puzzle in a lidded box
• MaterialWalnut, maple and cherry
• Size62 mm
• DifficultyLevel 5 (Vinco scale)

Design

The box is a cube with light wood edges and dark corners, and on each face the eight triangles alternate tones to form a saltire pattern. It is the most striking piece in the Special Box series, designed as much to store the puzzle as to be left on display.

The puzzle inside is based on the half-cube, either of the two halves you get by dividing a cube, in modified versions that Vinco calls “mutants”.

How it works

In a packing puzzle the aim is to place all the pieces within the available space. Here they must go back inside the box so that the lid closes. Vinco places it at level 5 on its scale, one of the highest in its catalogue.