From around 2006, the Japanese puzzle manufacturers have been engaged in a battle for the "smallest". Starting with puzzles of one-and-a-half to two times as many pieces in the standard dimensions, these were merely small (and Japanese puzzles are typically 10% or so larger in area than European or North American puzzles of the same piece count). Then Tenyo produced a "World Smallest 1000-piece" series*, earning a place at Guinness World Records, shortly to be overtaken by Beverly, with 1000-piece puzzles at 300-piece size. These tiny pieces are not for the faint of heart, and you will need patience, delicate fingers, and very good eyesight!
* A3 size: two sheets of A4, or very roughly two sheets of "Letter" size if you're in the US.
Meanwhile, the latest from Yanoman is a series of postcard-sized 200-piece puzzles - these don't claim to break any records, but the pieces are even tinier, and the set includes a pair of plastic tweezers for those with blunt fingers. (See separate page)
Maurits Cornelis Escher
Escher signed his work with a blocky but meticulous version of his initials "MCE".
Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) was a Dutch artist, who produced many well-known images of mathematical fantasies, though he had no formal training in mathematics. Animals and birds metamorphose into geometrical shapes and back again - buildings follow geometrical rules, yet defy reality.
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Mickey and friends in the central circle are surrounded by all the Disney characters through the ages...
 This puzzle has TINY pieces!
 In stock
A Tenyo puzzle: 1000 pieces; 42 x 30 cm (17" x 12")
Code: TDW10260 (DW-1000-260 on box)
Retail price ¥1800 (approx. US$16.98 €11.32 £8.87)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Tenyo puzzle: 1000 pieces; 42 x 30 cm (17" x 12")
Code: TDW10259 (DW-1000-259 on box)
Retail price ¥1800 (approx. US$16.98 €11.32 £8.87)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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Mickey the explorer shows us some of the great heritage sites of the world: Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal, the pyramids...
This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Tenyo puzzle: 1000 pieces; 42 x 30 cm (17" x 12")
Code: TDW10286 (DW-1000-286 on box)
Retail price ¥1800 (approx. US$16.98 €11.32 £8.87)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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A story-telling puzzle - of Pooh and the big storm...
This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Tenyo puzzle: 1000 pieces; 42 x 30 cm (17" x 12")
Code: TDW10261 (DW-1000-261 on box)
Retail price ¥1800 (approx. US$16.98 €11.32 £8.87)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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© Disney
This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Tenyo puzzle: 1000 pieces; 30 x 42 cm (12" x 17")
Code: TDW10262 (DW-1000-262 on box)
Retail price ¥1800 (approx. US$16.98 €11.32 £8.87)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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Perhaps the most beautiful building in the world, caught at one of the best moments, a clear dawn.
This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Beverly puzzle: 1000 pieces; 38 x 26 cm (15" x 10")
Code: BS71806 (S71-806 on box)
Retail price ¥1600 (approx. US$15.09 €10.06 £7.88)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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Fuji towers above the village of Oshino, with its preserved old cottages and placid millpond.
This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Beverly puzzle: 1000 pieces; 38 x 26 cm (15" x 10")
Code: BS71803 (S71-803 on box)
Retail price ¥1600 (approx. US$15.09 €10.06 £7.88)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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Amazingly well-preserved buildings line this street in Tsumago, a staging point where the old Nakasendo road begins to climb over the Japan Alps.
Morning glory features in the foreground, while on the mountain side disappearing into mist, sugi (cryptomeria) trees tower over typically frothy bamboos.
On the right is the famous Matsushiroya inn - here's how to read the signs in the picture. The juku means "a place to stay", referring to the town's status as a staging point.
This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Beverly puzzle: 1000 pieces; 38 x 26 cm (15" x 10")
Code: BS71810 (S71-810 on box)
Retail price ¥1600 (approx. US$15.09 €10.06 £7.88)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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The Chinese name (also used in Japanese, of course) is "10,000-li fortification": it actually extends for a total of 12,700 li, or around 6,350 km.
This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Beverly puzzle: 1000 pieces; 38 x 26 cm (15" x 10")
Code: BS71807 (S71-807 on box)
Retail price ¥1600 (approx. US$15.09 €10.06 £7.88)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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Famous as the best-preserved example of Japanese castle building, the historical origins of Himeji castle are said to date back to the building of a fort in 1333. From a supposed resemblance to the outstretched wings of a bird, it is also known as "White Heron Castle."
Himeji Castle website (includes English version)
This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Beverly puzzle: 1000 pieces; 38 x 26 cm (15" x 10")
Code: BS71809 (S71-809 on box)
Retail price ¥1600 (approx. US$15.09 €10.06 £7.88)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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Seen from the east, with the Japan Alps in the distance.
This puzzle has TINY pieces! In stock
A Beverly puzzle: 1000 pieces; 38 x 26 cm (15" x 10")
Code: BS71811 (S71-811 on box)
Retail price ¥1600 (approx. US$15.09 €10.06 £7.88)
Shipping from ¥500 (N. America, Europe, Australasia: approx. US$4.72 €3.14 £2.46)
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With pieces even smaller than the 1000-piece puzzles on this page, these 204-piece puzzles present a real challenge. The range includes Ukiyo-e prints, Tokyo scenes, Hello Kitty character vignettes, and classics of Western art - see the whole collection
