A complete jigsaw map of Scotland, housed within its original box.

The inventor of the jigsaw puzzle was a one John Spilsbury (1739-1769), who, in 1766, affixed a world map to wood and carved each country out. He would go on to create puzzles of the four continents together with puzzles of England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. The maps were designed as teaching aids for geography classes. As pupils put the pieces together, they would learn how different countries connected to one another.

Although advertised in Bowles’ catalogue of 1795, we are unable to trace any institutional example.