Department:
Our Chosen Land
Replica or Original:
Not a Replica
On Display, In Storage, or in a Private Offsite Collection:
On Display
Primary Material:
Bone
Medium:
Game Tile
Dimensions:
Classification/Category:
Recreational Objects
Specific Classification:
Game Tiles
Notable Signatures,
Inscriptions, and/or Markings:
Donated by:
Unknown
Accession Number
1993.007.001
Artifact Date:
A.D. 1900 - Present
1912-Present
Artifact Era/Dynasty:
Unknown
Creator:
Unknown
Creator Ancestry:
Mahjong, Mah-Jongg, or Ma Que (麻雀), is a tile-based game that combines elements of skill, luck, strategy and collaboration amongst its players. There are several variations and rulesets throughout the world. Most renditions of Mahjong run 136-144 tiles in a set and conventionally seats four players or more. Due to its widespread and cross-cultural popularity, Mahjong rules are highly contested and ambiguous.
The origins of Mahjong are further disputed. Mahjong was initially documented in China within the mid to late 1800s. There are claims crediting the invention of Mahjong to Chinese philosopher Confucius, noting attributions of his acclaimed musings and the symbols depicted on the game tiles. In the early 20th century, the game migrated to the United States and was highly popularized within different cultural groups and across socio-econmic class structures.
The Mahjong set acquired by the Chinese Cultural Centre is different than a modern set, dating it back to around the early 1920s. The instructions booklet that was donated alongside it was printed in the USA in October 1923 (10th edition).
Artifact Date:
A.D. 1900 - Present
Artifact Era/Dynasty:
1912-Present
Creator:
Unknown
Creator Ancestory:
Unknown
Catalogue Entry
Online References:
"An introduction to Mah Jong": https://www.mahjongsets.co.uk/
Lang, Cady. "What the Surprising History of Mah-jongg Can Teach Us About America": https://time.com/6045817/mahjongg-history/
Department:
Our Chosen Land
On Display, In Storage, or in a Private Offsite Collection:
On Display
Replica or Original:
Not a Replica
A collection of Mahjong tiles.
一整副的麻將牌。
Listen
Classification/Category:
Recreational Objects
Specific Classification:
Game Tiles
Notable Signatures,
Inscriptions, and/or Markings: