SOMA News

1 Jan 2006 E-Mail.

SOMA on wood base

On Nov 2 2005
I received these beautifull puzzle products from Sharon Johnson.
Now what is special about these puzzles ?
Well. The SOMA cube is a genuine rosewood version from Skjøde, but note that this version has a rosewood base too. My own version has an aluminium base, and I thought that this was the only type produced. This new one proves me wrong, Skjøde apparently produced two different versions.
See my other SOMA cubes at News 1998.11.22

The pyramid

The second puzzle is also a funny enigma. I already owned the Pyramystery puzzle from Skjøde News 1999.10.14. The Pyramystery came with a booklet from Piet Hein, and was based on a principle of 6 pieces of varying shapes.

Now appeared a completely new puzzle.! "King Tut's Tomb" From the outside, looking identical to the Pyramystery, BUT when taken apart this new one was made of 4 pieces. Identical in pairs.

The pyramid in pieces

The questions of course piles up. When were these variations made.?
Were they earlier than SOMA on aluminium?
and earlier than Pyramystery.?
Maybe we will never know, as Skjøde no longer exist.

The (Slightly edited) story that lead to this wonderfull gift was:


Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2005
Subject: SOMA: Skjode of Skjern
I was doing some housecleaning, and thought about throwing away a couple of things I had purchased in Germany in the mid-late 60's.
But I decided to check them out on the web first. One of them is a Soma Cube by Skjode of Skjern. Your webpage indicates it was on a polished aluminum base, but mine is on a wooden base ( green "plush" on the bottom labeled Skjode of Skjern Denmark Design: Piet Hein ). The other item is also by Skjode. It's rosewood spheres on a polished aluminum base ( there are only 4 pieces: two of them have 4 spheres in a row, the other two have 6 spheres in two rows of 3 - it's really not much of a brain-teaser, but kind of "pretty" ). I do remember having hours of fun with the Soma - but it has become pretty much of a dust collector now. Would you by any chance like to have either of them?

Hi Sharon
It surely sounds interesting!
The Square one is, as you have found out, a SOMA cube. Whereas the sperical one first sounded like the "Pyramystery" but in that puzzle you have 6 pieces of spheres, so.. what is this?

Hi Thorleif
I'll send both of the items to you.

Hi Sharon
They arrived

Hi Thorleif
Glad they finally arrived ( and didn't get "smashed" ). If it's of any help, I bought both of them during my first tour in Germany ( that would have been from Aug 1964 through Jul 1968 ). I'm glad someone can get some enjoyment from them.

Hi Sharon
They are both in a beautifull condition, as far as I can see, the SOMA cube is an original Skjøde version, probably a couple of years older than my version because of its wood base. The material is RoseWood. The pyramid is a puzzle to me, It is (in its combined state) identical to the "Pyramystery" puzzle that Skjøde produced, but once disassembled, the 4 pieces are completely different from the pyramystery ones. The questions arise of course "When and Why did they change design" that is something for which I will try to find answer.

Submitted (16.oct.2005) by Sharon B. Johnson
Edited by Thorleif Bundgaard <thorleif@fam-bundgaard.dk>