What is so amazing about the Chinese Puzzle Ball?
As the symbol of good luck, a puzzle ball is often characterized with auspicious motifs of Chinese mythologies, vernacular literature, or religious icons. The exterior layer of the Lizzadro puzzle ball is intricately decorated with intertwined dragons and swirling cloud patterns covering the entire surface.
How do Chinese puzzle balls work?
According to him, an artist first used a lathe to rotate a block of ivory, shaping it into a sphere. They then drilled evenly distributed conical holes towards the ball’s center. Accessing the interior with an L-shaped tool, they would carve grooves to form concentric gaps, creating layers.
When were Puzzleballs made?
The earliest known document of the puzzle balls in 1388 refers to the intricately crafted pieces as gui gong qui or “devils’ work balls”.
Is ivory ball elastic?
Ivory is more elastic than wet-clay. Hence the ball of ivory will rise to a greater height. In fact the ball of wet-clay will not rise at all, it will be somewhat flattened permanently.
What is a puzzle ball called?
A puzzle globe (also called jigsaw globe, globe puzzle, puzzle ball, puzzle sphere or spherical puzzle) is a spherical assembly of puzzle pieces that, when put together, form a complete sphere or globe.
What is meant by ivory ball?
a a hard smooth creamy white variety of dentine that makes up a major part of the tusks of elephants, walruses, and similar animals. b (as modifier) ivory ornaments.
How is ivory carved?
Ivory Carving Techniques Carvers used an adz, axe or chisel for stripping the outer rind from the tusk, then a saw for cutting the tusk into manageable sections and then an implement known as a float to pare the surface.
What are puzzle balls made from?
Following the international ban on the ivory trade, manufacturers of puzzle balls have tried using other materials, including bone. They are made from a single solid ball with conical holes drilled in it, with the carver separating the different spherical shells using L-shaped tools.
What is meant by Ivory ball?
What is ivory ball in physics?
As the ivory ball is more elastic than wet clay ball, therefore it will tend to regain its shape instantaneously after the collision. Hence, there will be a large energy and momentum transfer compared to the wet clay. Thus, the ivory ball will rise higher after the collision.
What is the Chinese puzzle ball called?
devil’s work ball
A Chinese puzzle ball, sometimes known as a devil’s work ball (Chinese: 鬼工球; pinyin: guǐ gōng qiú), is a Chinese-made artifact that consists of a number of intricately carved concentric hollow spheres carved from a single solid block that fit within one another in a way that looks impossible.
How many layers of ivory are in a puzzle ball?
The Heritage owns two exquisite puzzle balls from the 19th century, when the art form—a special style of carving from Guangzhou, or Canton—reached its peak. Each has about 20 to 25 layers of ivory, all carefully chiseled from a single piece of the material. In comparison, the early examples Cao Zhao describes have just three.
Why are puzzle balls a symbol of the illegal ivory trade?
At the end of 2017, China finally banned all domestic ivory sales and ordered ivory production facilities to cease operations. The origins of puzzle balls add to their complexity: While undeniably beautiful to behold, they are tragic reminders of the desires that drive the illegal wildlife trade.
Why did Cao Cao call them Ivory orbs?
That name might bring to mind something insidious, but Cao was referring to beautiful, hand-carved ivory orbs that nest inside each other, such that the inner ones are free-floating. Each layer has holes evenly distributed across its thin surface, simultaneously concealing and revealing the artistry beneath. So why the allusion to spirits?
