Mystery of Chinese Puzzle Balls

Chinese Puzzle Balls also known as a devil's work ball. It consists of a number of intricately carved concentric hollow spheres carved from a single solid block of material that fit within one another in a way that looks impossible. They were traditionally made of Ivory.

To begin forming the layers, the carver would have made conical-shaped incisions, then the artist would proceed to create the puzzle ball by working from the inside to the outside by using “L” shaped knives to cut the balls free.

To create the work, carvers would first have started with a solid piece of ivory that would be turned on a lathe to form a sphere-like structure. Most puzzle balls have approximately twenty layers; several pieces have upwards to thirty layers.