Mah Jong game. China, first half of the 20th century.

Mah Jong game. China, first half of the 20th century.
Rosewood box.
Inlaid jade on the lid.
Bone pieces.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use.
Measurements: 6 x 38 x 27 cm. Each piece measures 2,7 x 2 cm.

Mah Jong game with its original box, rosewood case. Mah Jong is a board game of Chinese origin, exported to the rest of the world, and particularly to the West since the 1920s. Its predecessor was called "sheet game in strips", since the pieces were made of cardboard, like today's playing cards. Progressively this material was abandoned and chips were made of ivory, wood and, above all, bamboo, although nowadays plastic is the norm. Nevertheless, true works of art are still being made, as they were in ancient times, in different materials. Mahjong, in its original version, is composed of 144 tiles or generic tiles, but that number changes depending on the type of set, where some tiles are added or removed. In many variants, players have 13 tiles to start the game and, by drawing a 14th tile, would win the game if they have 4 sets (Chow, Pung and Kong, alternating) and the pair of eyes.