Description
Vintage Premium Mahjong Set.
Offered here is a complete, full-sized, Vintage Premium Mahjong set with five drawers. The tiles are Bone and
Vintage Premium Mahjong SetBamboo adorned with Chinese-themed art and calligraphy. The chest measures 10-3/8″ by 7″ by 7-3/8″ tall. The entire surface is heavily adorned with Chinese-themed carvings. Unlike most Mah Jong sets, these tiles are premium grade. A side view of a tiles from this set is shown on the left alongside tiles from a more conventional set. Also included is a small set of dice in a small slide-top box. The tiles and other game pieces from this premium Mahjong set are in excellent condition. The chest of drawers is in very good condition with what appears to be some white paint specks on the surface. The set is circa 1920.
Aside from the cabinet, the quality of a typical Mahjongg set can be determined by the ratio of Bone to Bamboo. The thicker the bone layer and the the thicker the tile, the more valuable the set. The image below illustrates the six Qualities found in most traditional Mahjongg sets ranked in order of desirability. The upper row of tiles are thicker, the tiles on the left have the highest ratio of bone to Bamboo.
Background.
Mahjong, also spelled majiang, mah jongg, and numerous other variants, is a game that originated in China. It is commonly played by 4 players (with some 3-player variations found in South Korea and Japan). The game and its regional variants are widely played throughout Eastern and South Eastern Asia and have a small following in Western countries. Similar to the Western card game rummy, Mahjong is a game of skill, strategy, and calculation and involves a degree of chance.
The game is played with a set of 144 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols, although some regional variations use a different number of tiles. In most variations, each player begins by receiving 13 tiles. In turn players draw and discard tiles until they complete a legal hand using the 14th drawn tile to form 4 groups (melds) and a pair (head). There are fairly standard rules about how a piece is drawn, how a piece is stolen from another player and thus melded, the use of simples (numbered tiles) and honors (winds and dragons), the kinds of melds, and the order of dealing and play. However, there are many regional variations in the rules; in addition, the scoring system and the minimum hand necessary to win varies significantly based on the local rules being used.
For an excellent treatise on the History of Mahjong and an amazing collection, visit this outstanding site by Allen and Lila Weitz. The information is extremely well researched and presented.
