Little Game Hunter
Adventures in Africa
Fancy going on an African safari, anyone? The allure of the classic game hunt is the stuff of novels by the likes of Isak Dinesen in my book, and the only shooting I’d be interested in is with my camera. Luckily there are all sorts of ways to experience the call of the wild, such as with this phenomenal puzzle box from Robert Yarger.
Little Game Hunter by Robert Yarger
The Little Game Hunter (aka Stickman No. 24 Puzzle Box) is another one of Robert’s explorations into different puzzle styles. His career as a puzzle box maker was born from an old Japanese puzzle box he had as a boy, so it’s not hard to understand why he was also fascinated by the Japanese style of interlocking puzzle known as kumiki. The style originated in the 18th century and derived from traditional Japanese joinery and carpentry techniques used to lock pieces of wood together without nails or glue, in ways that could flex and move to withstand earthquakes. There was a post war “spirit of pleasure” which developed in the Edo period, circa 1750, when kumiki are thought to have first been made, possibly as toys used to train young carpenters on the joinery techniques. The best known original kumiki craftsman is Tsunetaro Yamanaka, and his grandson Hirokichi is credited with developing many kumiki animals, such as the elephant.
Meet "Sparkles"
Robert’s kumiki elephant takes things a few steps further, in typical Stickman fashion. He created a set of stand-alone elephants originally but always intended for them to be the trophy set upon a puzzle box. Ultimately he was able to achieve this vision and the Little Game Hunter was born in beautiful Mahogany, Padauk and Maple woods. Here, the elephant stands on a nice pedestal which contains two secret compartments. The elephant is made up of twenty separate pieces which interlock in a very specific way to create the final statue. A few of the legs, and the trunk, are integrally merged into the mechanism which also locks the box. Overall there are twenty-five steps required to fully disassemble the prize and reveal the two secret compartments. In the process the box itself can also be fully disassembled into six individual pieces. The movements are surprising and clever. Reassembly is quite a fun challenge requiring logic, some dexterity, and many moving pieces. Hopefully your elephant memory will provide reminders from the disassembly process. Or not, as was the case with me!
If only I had an elephant's memory ...
A fun fact about this puzzle is that Rob gave each of the elephants in the limited edition it’s very own unique name, inscribed in the solution booklet. Some names that he recalls include “Dumbo” (naturally), “Humphrey”, “Wrinkles”, “Peanuts”, “Blue”, “Bo Bo”, “Crinkles”, “Happy”, “Tinkles” (my favorite), and “Norman”. Let’s also not forget the one featured here, “Sparkles”, whose personality certainly lives up to her name. A lesser known fact is that each of the elephants was actually a secret agent, sent out into the world on covert missions (oops, covers blown). Stickman headquarters served as mission control, so one might be tempted to refer to Rob as “M” or “Q” (or maybe “Charlie”).
Recipients of the original elephants took to documenting their activities and would send Rob photos of the “agents” from locales all around the world. The elephants’ clandestine activities were often rough and tumble, and their ears were so fragile. Rob relates having to replace the hand carved ears so often that he ultimately made a whole bunch of extras that now fill a dish in his house. Whenever someone asks him if he is listening, he picks it up and replies, “I’m all ears….”
Spotted in the wild ...
The Little Game Hunter is also a cautionary tale against poaching the majestic elephant, a practice which is ostensibly banned but still occurs, resulting in the death of thousands of elephants each year for their ivory. Rob originally intended for the puzzle to have tusks, which would have added an additional layer to the disassembly, but mostly for aesthetics. He was not satisfied with his wood bending efforts, and could not source Holly to hand carve them, so left them off in the end. Their absence is a poignant reminder, and perhaps for the best. The puzzle is nonetheless his most adorable work, so much so that his wife requested one for herself. It resides in their bedroom to this day.
Rum, chocolate and ice cream ... and don't forget the sparkles
I almost forgot the cocktail! But an elephant never forgets. Believe it or not, there are any number of elephant cocktails out there on the interwebs, mostly of the pink and white variety. I’m partial to classics, but even there it was hard to find something just right. I settled on this recipe, from the pages of the venerated “Difford’s Guide”, a White Elephant cocktail which I suspect would be something Stickman himself might enjoy immensely. He once sent me an idea for a cocktail which was quite similar. I don’t usually go for overly sweet drinks, but there is quite a tradition for dessert drinks like this so it fits into my “classic” style category well. The original cocktail called for vodka, but I’ve swapped that for white rum instead, which I’m sure no one will argue with here. Rather than cream as in the original, I’ve gone all in with ice cream instead. For an over the top touch (it’s for a Stickman, after all) I’ve sprinkled edible purple glitter on it (in honor of “Sparkles”, of course), and one of my typical whimsical citrus peel garnishes. You’ve been warned – this hunter is dangerous … ly delicious. Try one, if you’re game. Cheers!
I'm game to hunt down this pair
Little Game Hunter (adapted from Difford’s Guide)
2 oz white rum
¾ oz crème de cacao (chocolate liqueur)
¾ oz vanilla ice cream
¾ oz milk
Shake ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Edible glitter and a few dashes of Stickman Bitters recommended, but not required.
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