Double Symmetry

Designer: Osanori Yamamoto

This puzzle measures: 72 mm x 72 mm x 47 mm

Material: Ash/Wenge

Kevin Sadler wrote about it:

“Osanori-san designs fabulous packing puzzles which I have reviewed many times on my blog but he also is very well known for his stunning interlocking designs that require a very well hidden sequence of moves to dismantle (some of my favourites have included the various Galaxy puzzles. This gorgeous creation in Ash and Wenge has a beautifully edged frame and 4 pieces interlocked inside. Obviously the aim is to take it apart and this is much easier said than done. It becomes clear quite quickly that the name of the puzzle comes from the fact that the 2 pairs of identical pieces have been arranged symmetrically in several directions (rotational in the X/Y plane and also in the X/Z plane). There are quite a few moves possible and I found myself getting stuck several times in a loop because the symmetry seemed to force me to do something which the moves on the other side just reversed. After about a ½ hour of fiddling I suddenly made a breakthrough and found a move that did not seem to force me round in circles and from there the pieces dance around each other a bit before finally the first piece can be removed. It is a nice clever sequence as one would expect from Osanori. Having taken this apart in the evening, I left it overnight and set to the reassembly from scratch with only a very vague memory of the sequence I had previously found. The challenge is absolutely perfect! It takes a lot of thought and discovery (with several false starts) to reassemble the puzzle – the sense of satisfaction for someone like me who is terrible at assembly puzzles like me was fabulous. This one is right up there with the Galaxy puzzles in my opinion.”