4. Fruit Blossom

This push-fit example carries a hand-written inscription for December 1909 on its lid, making this plywood puzzle one of the earliest to use this new material. The cutting style is that of the London manufacturer William Peacock & Sons, responsible for the manufacture of many fine-quality puzzles at this time, some retailed under their own branding, with others made for several of the leading stores of this era. In this case, the puzzle's top and bottom halves mirror each others cutting pattern, a clear indication that after the initial horizontal cut, the two sections were then stack-cut. A look at this Peacock's Playtime Picture Puzzle will help to confirm the manufacturing origins.
The pastoral scene is by an unidentified artist.

Artist: Unidentified
Date: c1909
Brand: Hamleys
Material: Plywood
Nationality: British-England
Number: 4
Pieces: 220
Size: 14 3/4" x 9 3/4"
Theme: Flowers
Title: 4. Fruit Blossom