RARE COLLECTABLE 1974 FRIEDRICH HEYE GERMANY 1000 PIECE PUZZLE TITLED MATTO CONDOTTIERI (CRAZY LEADERS) BY CARTOON ARTIST JJ LOUP 997 PIECES IN ORIGINAL TRIANGULAR BOX

THIS IS A RARE 1974 PUZZLE BY FRIEDRICH HEYE GERMANY. ITS IS A CARTOON PUZZLE TITLED MATTO CONDOTTIERRI (CRAZY LEADERS) AND WAS CREATED BY CARTOON ARTIST JJ LOUP. THE PUZZLE IS A CARTOON IMAGE OF AN ATTACK ON A MEDIEVAL CASTLE. ITS IN THE OLD ORIGINAL TRIANGULAR BOX. I COUNTED THE PIECES AND ENDED UP WITH 997 PIECES (MIGHT HAVE MISCOUNTED THOUGH).
 
The meaning of CONDOTTIERE is a leader of a band of mercenaries common in Europe in the Middle Ages. They served popes and kings during the European Wars of Religion. Matto Condottierri literally translates to Crazy Leaders in English. The puzzle is of attack on a castle and as with all Heye puzzles there are a lot of silly things that can be seen in the puzzle.

MANUFACTURED IN GERMANY, HEYE PUZZLES OFFER DELIGHTFUL IMAGES THAT CENTER AROUND CARTOONS, OFTEN IN WHIMSICAL SCENES, BUT SPAN ALL THE WAY TO SCENIC AND GOTHIC ART. UTILIZING A RANGE OF AMAZING ARTISTS LIKE JEAN JACQUES LOUP (1936-2015) AND MORDILLO, ALL IMAGES ARE BE UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL. 
 
Jean-Jacques Loup was a popular French cartoonist, who is best known for his many crowded and detailed drawings for jigsaw puzzles. He studied at the National School of Fine Arts in Lyon, and was an architect and jazz pianist. He worked in Paris as a cartoonist from 1969 until his death in 2015.
 
Heye jigsaw puzzles (Germany) appeared on the market by effors to Friedrich W. Heye, a German developer, who founded the company in 1962, naming it in his honor. Heye jigsaw puzzles quickly established itself as a niche manufacturer of unusual and innovative jigsaw puzzles made from quality materials, setting industry trends with each new line or image.
 
The Heye Verlag (Heye Publishing Company) originally published magazines and calendars from 1964. It is unclear when production of puzzles started, but they say that the first cartoon artist, Mordillo, was signed in 1972. THE EARLIEST HEYE PUZZLES HAD A COPYRIGHT DATE OF 1974. THERE ARE 19 HEYE PUZZLES FROM 1974, ALL IN THE NOW FAMOUS TRIANGULAR BOXES.
 
It seems that Heye used triangular boxes and cartoon images right from the start, only later adding some traditional boxes and photo images! Of the 19, 10 are by Jean Jacques Loup and 9 by Guilermo Mordillo both of these artists are now deceased. There were 2 puzzles with 1500 pieces, 11 with 1000, 3 with 750, 2 with 500 and 1 with 120. Several of the puzzles have been re-released later.
 
HEYE PUZZLES ARE SOME OF THE MOST FUN AND ENTERTAINING PUZZLES ON THE MARKET. THE ORIGINAL FOCUS FOR THEIR JIGSAW PUZZLES WAS IN THE AREA OF CARTOONS AND GENERAL HUMOUR AND EVEN TODAY THE COMPANY ONLY USES ARTISTS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER. MANY OF THEIR EARLIER PUZZLES HAD BECOME COLLECTORS ITEMS.
 
SIZE 35CM HIGH 19,5CM WIDE 14CM TRIANGULAR SIDES
 
CONDITION: ORIGINAL TRIANGULAR BOX HAS SOME SCRAPES. PAMPHLET INCLUDED. 997 OUT OF 1000 PIECES ACCOUNTED FOR I MIGHT HAVE MISCOUNTED BUT DID NOT HAVE THE ENERGY TO DO A RECOUNT.
 
PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER ITEMS LISTED.  I HAVE ANOTHER VINTAGE 1974 PUZZLE BY HEYE AND JJ LOUP TITLED CHICAGO ON AUCTION THIS WEEK. COPY THE URL UNDERNEATH AND PASTE INTO GOOGLE AND IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO ALL MY LISTINGS THIS WEEK. NOTE ALL MY AUCTIONS END AT 22H30 SO IT IS ADVISABLE TO PUT IN AN AUTOMATIC BID (HIGHEST PRICE YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY) EARLY.
https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/seller/3685641/ErnRex1545