Hamley Bros. London Rare c. 1880 "Dissected Map" of the World Puzzle in Original Box gouache on pith and display

and display

the birds a great mix of familiar and exotic

and I especially love the detailed ink-drawings on those outer circles

filled front and back of each page in combination of ink and graphite on blue and natural wove paper

Hamley Bros. London Rare c. 1880 "Dissected Map" of the World Puzzle in Original Box gouache on pith and displayThis is a rare one, and in fact I can't find its exact match, but there were others similar produced in both London and the United States by other companies, which help date to about 1880, maybe a few years earlier. What I've learned is that "dissected maps" (lithography maps mounted to wood and cut into pieces) were one of the earliest types of educational tools for children, used in early kindergarten, and among the first iterations of the jig saw