Wooden Spatial Relations Puzzle From Alias TV Show

June 1, 2009 11:48 AM

I'm looking for a wooden spatial relations puzzle that was featured in the Alias TV Show.

My wife is a huge Alias fan, and as we were re-watching some episodes the other night, we saw Season 2, Episode 5 ("The Indicator"), which featured Sydney quickly solving a wooden puzzle, which we find out later was used to measure spatial relations aptitude in children, to see who would be a good spy.

I would love to get a puzzle like this for my wife, but I have been unable to locate one. You can see one at this link on YouTube (sorry for the Spanish; it was the only working video I could find online).

I've Googled for many variations of "wooden" "puzzle" "alias", etc., with no luck. Does anyone know what this is called, or better yet, where I can buy one? Thanks.

posted by CMcKinnon to media & arts (5 comments total)

This is called a "Tangram Puzzle." "Dissection puzzle" is also popular.

Relevant Google search: wooden puzzle flat triangle rectangle.

I remember that episode but not that specific shape. You should be able to start here: http://www.google.com/products?q=tangram+wooden&hl=en.
posted by adipocere at 12:04 PM on June 1

Um, it's not quite a tangram, or at least not a tangram as the term is usually used. The elements are put together vertically, and there is only one way to put them together correctly, unlike a flat, in-plane tangram.
posted by UrineSoakedRube at 5:29 PM on June 1

Dammit, now that I'm at home and can see YouTube, I see what you mean. Apologies for screwing it up. I just remembered that it was wood and in a little table, not that it was vertical. *thinks of future AskMe about trying to tunnel from work to home* I count seven pieces. It does not look like it is actually for children, although I know that was the point of that episode; too angular.

Looking around some more, I came across some puzzles based around the Eiffel Tower, but they weren't as abstract, nor were they blue. I found some abstract ones, like so. I'm going to guess that this might have been a custom job. Dana MacDuff was the props person for that episode, so that's one avenue to try.

If you think this was an off-the-shelf item, it might well be European. I know that there are some European puzzle forums I came across a few years back when trying to find some puzzles from my childhood. That might be another tack to take.

Alternately, someone talented with wood could build one for you, or you could buy something like the one I linked to and paint it blue.
posted by adipocere at 7:24 PM on June 1

Thanks for the replies so far, you've given me some good leads to expand my searches. I'm not sure if it is off-the-shelf or custom; I was hoping someone would know that as well.
posted by CMcKinnon at 7:36 AM on June 2

It is *not* a tangram. I have never seen a puzzle like that before, so I suppose I'll go with "custom job". Also, @3.22 it looks like the bottom part is resting on some other bits which she never moves or puts into the puzzle itself.

Furthermore - the pieces all seem to be very different from each other, so it seems to be probably more of a balancing-type puzzle than a choosing-the-correct-order-of-pieces-type puzzle.

For wooden fit-together-type puzzles this site is excellent: http://www.puzzleworld.org (albeit hard to naviagte, perhaps start here)
posted by mjg123 at 4:37 PM on June 2