The exact origin of the Tangram is unknown. It is more than 4,000 years old.  However, there are many interesting stories as to how it came about.  One such story claims that a large pane of glass was ordered by a king.  When the large, perfect square, glass frame was in transit to the king's castle it was dropped, and surprisingly it had not shattered into a thousand pieces. Instead, it had broken into seven perfect geometric shapes.  When they tried to reassemble the seven pieces they found they could make many other designs.  They proceeded to the castle and presented the broken glass as a puzzle for the king.  The king was fascinated with the glass puzzle. 

  The puzzle was introduced to the West in the mid 19th century to sailors who were involved in trade with China. They too, were intrigued by the simple yet intricate puzzle.

Author:  Gina M. Graziano

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Last Updated:  05/12/2008