The Zigzag is an interlocking puzzle from Vinco, the workshop of Czech designer and craftsman Václav Obšivač. Assembled, it looks like a complex cluster of triangular prisms jutting out in every direction, yet it is made of just four wooden pieces. The challenge is to take it apart and put it back together.

• BrandVinco
• DesignerVáclav Obšivač
• TypeInterlocking puzzle
• MaterialMixed woods
• Pieces4
• Size110 mm

Design

It is an interlocking puzzle: the pieces hold one another through their own geometry, with no glue or mechanisms, so the whole thing stays firm. The charm of the Zigzag lies in the contrast between its appearance, which suggests many more pieces, and what it is actually made of. Each piece has an intricate shape, which makes putting it back together harder than taking it apart.

The pieces combine woods of different tones, worked by hand in Obšivač’s workshop in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm, so it also works as a decorative object.

Skill level

Vinco places it at level 3 on its scale, in the middle range. It’s a good option for anyone who has already solved a simple wooden puzzle and wants a more eye-catching design.