Richard Garriott Shows Off For Martha Stewart…Again

Ultima creator and collector of interesting things Richard Garriott previously wowed Martha Stewart with a collection of medieval toys and automata. That was an older episode, however, and since then he has returned to the show to display his collection of mechanical puzzles.

Here, entrepreneur Richard Garriott shares highlights from his extensive collection of mechanical puzzles.

Puzzle Jugs
Often found in taverns or guildhalls, puzzle jugs are mugs or pitchers that challenge the drinker to consume (or pour out) the contents without spilling or dribbling.

Take-Apart Puzzles
Take-apart puzzles are made of interlinked pieces of wood cleverly assembled to create a finished form.

Tavern/Blacksmith Puzzles
Commonly found in old pubs, tavern or blacksmith puzzles are a complex set of chain, rings, and horseshoes.

Impossible Objects
The goal of impossible object puzzles is to discover how the object was made. They are not intended to come apart, though some puzzlers have taken them apart in cases of extreme frustration. Only one fact is given to eliminate an obvious solution: No glue or adhesive was used to make the impossible objects.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to grab a video embed, so you Dragons and Dragonettes will just have to head on over to Martha’s site to watch the full presentation. But please do…Lord British has some fascinating stuff to show off.

(hat tippage: Origin Museum, via Facebook)

2 Responses

  1. Toltec Dragon says:

    Wow, Richard is such a kind person and you can really feel, how much fun he has presenting all this little things. There’s some great puzzles there – i liked the wooden dice the most. Does anybody know, if you can buy these things somewhere around europe, or are these all unique objects?

    • WtF Dragon says:

      My first guess is that they’re unique, or at least exceedingly rare.

      And if they could be found anywhere, they’d probably be a) handmade and b) expensive.