Who Invented the Jigsaw Puzzle?
When I search the Internet, I find many webpages that unambiguously state that John Spilsbury invented the jigsaw puzzle. Some assign various dates (1763, 1767 are popular) while most aproximate 1760. With extended digging, I can also find claims for the Dutch, French and German origins of the invention. I once found a “… 1000 year old jade jigsaw puzzle …” on eBay but was assured by a reputable expert that it was genuinely fake. Based on the number of jigsaw puzzle patents that have been issued to Chinese inventors, you may come to the conclusion that the jigsaw puzzle was invented in China in the last quarter of a century, apparently more than once. For the purposes of this document, I do not include “Picture Puzzles”. One could certainly argue that mosaics from two millennia ago that were pieced together in the ancient city of Ur could qualify as a picture puzzle. I am sure there are instances where stone carvers worked in one location and then their work was moved and reassembl
