Bellini, Cellini, caskets and a suitor
Back a few hundred years ago when the Bellini and Cellini patriarchs were still alive, a gorgeous and highly intelligent Italian noblewoman, Fiorentina, was being assiduously courted by several young male nobles. After finding one who loved her and who she loved, Fiorentina wanted to make sure he was intelligent enough to marry her. So she had the two patriarchs construct three golden caskets, in one of which she placed a portrait of herself painted by a rising young artist named Leonardo. If the male noble opened the casket with the portrait in it, Fiorentina would accept his hand in marriage. The patriarchs had placed an inscription on each casket, as follows.
Casket #1: The portrait is in here.
Casket #2: The portrait is in here.
Casket #3: At most one of these three caskets was constructed by Bellini.
As always, Bellini only inscribes true statements on caskets he constructs and Cellini only inscribes false ones on caskets he constructs.
To win Fiorentina, which casket should the male noble open?
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1 solution
Assume the statement on casket #3 is false. Then it was made by Cellini, so the other two caskets were both made by Bellini. But the portrait can't be in both caskets, so this is a contradiction.
So the statement on #3 is true. Thus the other two caskets were both made by Cellini. Therefore the portrait in not in either, so it must be in #3.