Marie Khincouloff and Les Jeux Artistiques

By founding Les Jeux Artistiques in 1953, Marie Khincouloff created one of France's most respected manufacturers of wooden jigsaw puzzles. A former employee of Établissements Vera, she developed a demanding philosophy of craftsmanship based on precision cutting, the highest-quality materials, and entirely handcrafted production.

Early Life

Marie Kurtz was born on October 21, 1897, in Kishinev, Russian Empire (now Chișinău, Moldova). She was the fourth of seven children. She married Michel Khincouloff, and between 1927 and 1930 the couple emigrated to France, where her husband worked as a taxi driver in Paris.

From Vera to Les Jeux Artistiques

Marie Khincouloff began her career at Établissements Vera, but fundamental differences gradually emerged between the two Russian émigrés who shaped the company. While Marie Khincouloff insisted on uncompromising quality, Alexandre Tchertoff sought to maximize production. Their disagreements became increasingly severe, and the partnership ended in 1952.

In 1953, she founded Les Jeux Artistiques in order to apply her own manufacturing methods and quality standards.

The company was established in Boulogne-Billancourt at 38 rue du Vieux-Pont-de-Sèvres (company registration: RCS 56 B 5035, later 562 050 351 Paris). It also operated a workshop at 6 rue du Sergent Maginot, Paris 16th arrondissement, which was also the Khincouloff family's residence.

A Commitment to Excellence

Marie Khincouloff and her daughter Nina Khincouloff, who worked alongside her, deliberately positioned the company at the highest end of the market. Their priority was not volume but exceptional craftsmanship, combining artistic quality with technically flawless cutting.

Nina Khincouloff was born on January 3, 1921, in Kishinev and died in Paris on December 25, 2002. An engineering graduate of the École Polytechnique Féminine (EPF), she joined the French Resistance during the Second World War and was deported to the Ravensbrück concentration camp in August 1944.

A Demanding Personality

Marie Khincouloff was renowned for her exceptionally demanding—and at times authoritarian—management style, which made working conditions difficult for many employees.

One of those who experienced her methods was Michèle Wilson, founder of the wooden puzzle company that still bears her name. Through Lucie Wolt, owner of the Paris gift shop L'Oiseau de Paradis on Boulevard Saint-Germain, Michèle Wilson met Marie Khincouloff and was hired as a workshop assistant.

For nine months, she learned every aspect of the craft, including gluing, cutting, and even seemingly simple tasks such as driving a nail perfectly straight. At the same time, she was expected to carry out numerous household duties requested by Marie Khincouloff—including cleaning and serving tea—before eventually resigning.

An Unexpected Diplomatic Incident

One of the company's most unusual episodes involved a complaint from an African ambassador. After purchasing one of the company's educational puzzles depicting a map of Africa from the French retail chain Prisunic, he discovered that the map still reflected the colonial boundaries that existed before the Second World War.

Outraged, he lodged an official complaint with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The matter was taken seriously, and all of the puzzles concerned were immediately withdrawn from Prisunic stores.

Traditional Craftsmanship Until the End

Throughout its existence, Les Jeux Artistiques remained committed to highly traditional manufacturing techniques. Even toward the end of the company's history, puzzle images continued to be mounted by hand on zinc plates, following methods that had changed little since the 1930s.

The End of the Company

Around 1980, Marie Khincouloff sought to sell the company, including discussions with the French puzzle manufacturer Tic et Patte.

The company was officially dissolved on April 6, 1981.

Legacy

Although Les Jeux Artistiques operated for less than thirty years, it earned an exceptional reputation among collectors for the quality of its craftsmanship. Today, its wooden jigsaw puzzles are among the finest examples of French artisanal puzzle making and are highly sought after by collectors.

Marie Khincouloff's uncompromising standards helped preserve a tradition of handcrafted wooden puzzles in France and influenced later manufacturers who continued to value artistic excellence over mass production.

Sources: Research by the author; Marie-Anne Baschevici, great-niece of Marie Khincouloff.