August 24, 2012 Greetings, I've been developing a new puzzle design for some time now. It started out as an idea about three years ago and branched into a completely new process for creation and production of my work. My first sculpture using this new process offers the substantial weight and scale of my original Conundrum sculpture introduced in 2002. It has a faceted geometric appearance and offers a much higher level of puzzling complexity with very few pieces. So without further ado, I present to you, The Morphing Cube.   Name Copyright Medium Size Weight Range Composition Finish Authentication Complexity The Morphing Cube by GarE Maxton 2012 Brass, Copper, Aluminum and Steel * 75mm x 75mm x 75mm ** 3 - 8 lbs. *** Six Pieces; One Fixed, Five Morphing Brushed, Polished (Exterior Only) or Metal Patina Name, Signature, Number and Date Difficult to Extremely Difficult   * Just one or up to four different metals. ** Just under 3 inches per side.*** The weight varies depending on the exact combination of metals used to produce the sculpture.

The Sculpture   GarE Maxton © 2012 The Morphing Cube is a 75mm beveled cube composed of 6 interlocking pieces. This sculpture boasts an integrated locking piece that won't fall out even if this rather heavy sculpture is turned over.

Sculpture, Display Stand & Key   Photograph by Adriana Maxton, © 2012   The Morphing Cube is shipped with a black marble or granite display stand (of various shapes) and a special key (shown on left). Using the key to engage and extract the locking piece begins disassembly. The Morphing Cube may be ordered and shipped unassembled for puzzle enthusiasts. For those patrons who simply want to enjoy this beautiful piece as an object d'art, I also offer shipment fully assembled.

Metal Composition   GarE Maxton © 2012 The metals used in The Morphing Cube are various combinations of Brass, Copper, Aluminum and Steel. Each sculpture is made from one, two, three or four of these metals. The sculpture shown above is unusual in that the four central steel pieces on each of the six faces contain striped inlays of mokume-gane made by Phillip Baldwin. This beautiful metal is composed of alternating layers of copper, nickel-silver and bronze creating the striped appearance.

Coloration & Pattern   GarE Maxton © 2012 The coloration of The Morphing Cube varies with the composition of metals AND the pattern of the different metals in the four by four unit matrix on each face.

Finish #1: The Brushed Metal Finish   GarE Maxton © 2012   One of the finishes offered is a brushed metal finish.

Finish #2: The Polished Metal Finish   Email from J. M. in Monaco, 9/18/2012: "I've received the puzzle in perfect condition, and WOW, it's really beautiful. I took out the first piece with the key, but didn't have the heart to go any further - it looks too good to be touched."   To bring out the rich coloration of the metals, some puzzle sculptures will be polished to a near mirror-like perfection. Shown here is an example of the highly reflective surface of a polished puzzle sculpture made from Copper, Brass and Aluminum.

Finish #3: The Patina Finish   GarE Maxton © 2012   I will also offer a patina finish. Shown here is an example in aluminum, copper and brass.

Interlocking Elements   GarE Maxton © 2012   At first glance this puzzle looks rather simple to solve. After all, how hard can it be to assemble a cube with only six pieces? As they say.............. "Appearances Can Be Deceiving".

Morphing Pieces   GarE Maxton © 2012   What makes The Morphing Cube absolutely unique is that five of the six puzzle pieces are morphing; i.e., the shape of these pieces can be changed due to the presence of bearings between segments within those pieces. The shape of each morphing piece must be correct in order to properly assemble the puzzle cube. I have photographed four permutations of morphing piece #5 for your review. There are several other permutations of piece #5 as well. As you can imagine, discovering the correct shape of each piece adds a great deal of complexity to solving this challenging puzzle.

Most Puzzling Puzzle   GarE Maxton © 2012 The Morphing Cube sculpture in the photo above is composed entirely of one metal (shown in steel) with a brushed finish. This configuration of The Morphing Cube is an extremely difficult puzzle as there are no clues for assembly; e.g. a multi-color pattern on the exterior surface. This may be a Puzzler's Dream but for some perhaps a Nightmare?

The Solution   Pyramid I by GarE Maxton © 2005   As with all of my puzzle sculptures, the solution is available on my website. Purchasers may email me at gmaxton@maxton.com and I will provide them with a link, login name and password to access the solution online.

Signature & Production Date     GarE Maxton © 2012     Each sculpture is engraved with my signature and the year produced.

Production Number     GarE Maxton © 2012     Each sculpture is also labeled with the name of the sculpture, my name, the copyright year and the production number starting with No. 001. A written Certificate of Authenticity is also provided, signed by me, the artist.

Certificate of Authenticity On this __________ day of _________________, __________, I do hereby certify the authenticity of the enclosed sculpture hereinafter named The Morphing Cube, designed by GarE Maxton and copyrighted in the year 2012.   Signed and marked with the edition production no. __________, under my direct supervision.        Signed,                        GarE Maxton- Artist                      E-Mail: gmaxton@maxton.com (Artist's Seal)

Availability   GarE Maxton © 2012   Production of The Morphing Cube is a very complex process and at this point I am learning new techniques and improving my craft. Initial availability will be quite limited. I will announce the sculptures as they become available for delivery, and then post the finished sculptures with detailed photographs in my eBay Store . Thank you for your interest in my work. Best Regards,                                         GarE

Please Visit the Following Links   The following link(s) provide information on what sculptures by GarE Maxton are for sale on eBay and a reference of what patterns have been produced so far.   Maxton Sculptures Available on eBay https://stores.ebay.com/maxtonusa/_i.html?_fsub=2696420017 The Morphing Cube- Metal Patterns Produced https://www.maxton.com/morphingcube1/morphingcube_patterns.shtml

Warranty & Returns   GarE Maxton © 2012   The Return Period for The Morphing Cube is one month from the date of delivery of the sculpture. The sculpture is essentially sold "as is" but a Customer may request a return for refund for any reason during the return period. A full credit sans shipping will be issued after the Customer returns the unabused sculpture with the original packaging and documentation. The Customer is responsible for all shipping and insurance costs. No returns are allowed after the Return Period expires but a Customer may contact the Artist and obtain a quote for repairs at any time.

Gallery   GarE Maxton © 2012

Gallery   GarE Maxton © 2012

Gallery   GarE Maxton © 2012

Care & Maintenance   The following links provide information on care and maintenance of my sculptures.     Brushed & Polished Finish Sculptures https://www.maxton.com/printedmatter/carebrushedpolished_tmc.html Patina Finish Sculptures https://www.maxton.com/printedmatter/carepatina_tmc.html Special Notes About Care of The Morphing Cube https://www.maxton.com/morphingcube1/notes_tmc.html