Le Quart d’Heure de Rabelais – Antique French Puzzle (c.1900)

A rare antique French puzzle, Le Quart d’Heure de Rabelais (also known as Les Bourgeois Punis), produced in Paris around 1895–1910.
This charming logic puzzle was published by Jeux et Jouets Français and features beautifully printed, colourful wooden tiles depicting students and bourgeois characters.

The goal of the game is to arrange the men around a “table” so that the last one (or last two) must pay the bill — a humorous nod to the French expression “le quart d’heure de Rabelais”, meaning “the moment when it’s time to pay”.

The set includes all original tiles, the printed instruction sheet, and the original box with its period lithographed cover. A beautiful example of early French recreational mathematics and storytelling.

🔹 Publisher: Les Jeux et Jouets Français(JJF), Paris
🔹 Year: c. 1895–1910
🔹 Contents: 12 illustrated tiles + original instructions
🔹 Box: Original, with illustrated lid (visible wear as pictured)
🔹 Condition: Tiles very good for age; box worn but solid; instructions included
🔹 Type: Early mechanical/logic puzzle

A very rare and highly collectible French puzzle from the Belle Époque.

🪶 Collector’s Note

Antique French puzzles from the Belle Époque almost never survive with all pieces and the original instruction sheet.
This edition of Le Quart d’Heure de Rabelais is especially sought-after due to:

• its connection to the literary legend Rabelais
• its link to the famous Josephus problem, referenced by Ahrens (1901)
• mention in Hoffmann’s Puzzles and in Slocum & Botermans
• its charming lithographic artwork

My shop's location is in France.
▲ Tracking number will be provided.
▲ Order processing Time: 2-5 business days.
▲ Delivery Time: 7 days to 5 weeks+ — (USA: average 10–14 days)
▲ NO REFUNDS due to shipping delays. Please, kindly DO NOT PURCHASE if you cannot give it 5+WEEKS
▲ Vintage items are typically over 20 yrs old. Please, DO NOT expect them to be new.

If you have any questions, you can always reach me at rolandfabre@gmail.com