Creative Playthings MCM Birds on a Tree Puzzle and Balancing Toy

Regular price $130.00

This fabulous birds in tree puzzle /balancing toy /display piece I think perfectly encapsulates the spirit and philosophy of the wonderful design company that was Creative Playthings, founded in NYC by Frank and Theresa Caplan in 1945 with the goal of creating simple but beautiful educational toys and materials--emphasizing shape, color and texture--that would promote a child’s creativity and imagination. And indeed this puzzle does, lending itself to an endless variety of arrangements of birds in and around the tree, which stands sturdily on its smart rotating puzzle piece of a base--while requiring patience and developing balancing skills as one goes! Then, when one is done playing, it fits neatly back together as a flat puzzle (not super easy to solve!)--in this case to be stored in its original Wanamakers department store box! 

The Caplans went on to a series of collaborations with MoMA, Marcel Breuer, Noguchi, Louis Kahn, Henry Moore, etc. etc. I believe this piece is a fairly early Creative Playthings design, fairly rare to find. While the "tree" shows some fading and a few tape stains--which one often sees on these, I believe from how they were originally packaged--it is in good overall condition with little paint loss, no notable warping to the wood, and still just wonderful! Puzzle measures 12" t x 9" w x 13/16". Box is 12 7/8" x 9 3/4" x 1 1/2" and shows some wear.