Not on display

Rubik's Transformable Snake

Puzzle
1980s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Invented by Erno Rubik who was a lecturer in the Department of Interior Design at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest. The first cubes appeared on the shelves of Budapest toyshops in 1977. Ideal Toys signed a deal with Rubik to bring the toy to the West in 1979. It won prizes for outstanding inventions in Hungary and in 1981 it became an exhibit at the New York Museum of Modern Art. Everybody wanted the puzzle and it very quickly became a part of everyday life. By 1982 Rubik's Cube became part of the Oxford English Dictionary. However by 1983 saturation point had been reached and the market collapsed. A new limited addition cube was released in 2004.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleRubik's Transformable Snake (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Moulded plastic
Brief description
Black and white plastic puzzle, Rubik's Transformable Snake, made in the 1980s
Physical description
Plastic puzzle made of 24 black and white triangles. Each join on the puzzle is able to move round in 360 degrees to form shapes and patterns.
Dimensions
  • Length: 42cm
Depends on the form it is in
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by Ruth Savage
Summary
Invented by Erno Rubik who was a lecturer in the Department of Interior Design at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest. The first cubes appeared on the shelves of Budapest toyshops in 1977. Ideal Toys signed a deal with Rubik to bring the toy to the West in 1979. It won prizes for outstanding inventions in Hungary and in 1981 it became an exhibit at the New York Museum of Modern Art. Everybody wanted the puzzle and it very quickly became a part of everyday life. By 1982 Rubik's Cube became part of the Oxford English Dictionary. However by 1983 saturation point had been reached and the market collapsed. A new limited addition cube was released in 2004.
Collection
Accession number
B.19-2004

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Record createdFebruary 18, 2005
Record URL
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