Mayflower Seeds PLATE LXV

This print is a faithful reproduction of a brilliant chromolithograph plate from the December 1895 issue of "The Mayflower". Chromolithography was a printing process predating current methods whereby different inks were applied with different stones or plates one over the other. Unlike the four-color mixing of today, each color was laid individually resulting in vibrant color that has been beautifully preserved for over 100 years. The plate, simply titled "PLATE LXV", was an advertisement for "Mayflower Premium No 2. 7 Fine Bulbs" that were given away as a premium for a single subscription of 50 cents or a club subscription of 25 cents for 5 or more. The bulbs from top left are: Lilium Auratum, Hyacinthus Candicans, Gladious Lemoine, Lilium Wallace, Montbretia and Lilium Double Tiger.

The example puzzle features a color-line-cut (CLC) top border to accentuate the free flowing flowers. The cutting style is continuous heart . There are six corners, four of them trick ones, since there are no top corners to the picture. There are a number of disguised edge pieces and a few interior pieces that look like edges. Combined with the CLC border, it is very difficult to find and put together the edge pieces first!

Included in the puzzle are 14 figurals: A Victorian family, 3 different butterflies, 3 birds, a squirrel, turtle and the Jardin Puzzle signature piece. The dime provides scale to the picture to show the fine detail and small size of the figurals.

The puzzle is made from 1/4 inch solid, 3-ply cherry plywood with a poplar interior. "Solid" plywood has no "voids" (defects) in the interior plywood layers. Poplar is a firm, but not too hard wood and makes an excellent backing. The cherry has a beautiful grain and color that contrasts with the lighter interior layers of wood. We have hand finished the wood the old-fashioned way with Tung Oil and Shellac which gives the wood a rich luster and wonderful touch.