Puzzle 16 Animali by Enzo Mari For Danese, 1957 limited Edition

2007 edition, limited to 300 pieces. 16 animali is a modular puzzle, a multiple interlocking structure, cleverly created to obtain from a single rectangular oak wood board, and with a single continuous cut, various animal shapes. It is one of the best known examples of design applied to children's games. The creation of this toy was influenced, like his other later works, by his friendship with the designer bruno munari, known during the 1950s, thanks to mari's participation in the kinetic art group. The toy was commissioned to the designer in 1956 by danese, during a period in which mari was engaged in research and development for the milanese department store "la rinascente" in collaboration with his wife iela, specialized in visual perception and communication in the first childhood. While studying scandinavian wooden toys, mari was fascinated by the idea of ​​creating a menagerie of distinct animals from a single line. He was strongly influenced by the rigor of rationalist thinking as well as the fundamental aspects of gestalt psychology. He aimed to create a minimalist design that incorporated the maximum meaning with the minimum of components, essentially drawing inspiration from naturalistic forms and transforming them into symbols. The toy has been used, so it has some signs of use and small lacks at the edges.