A circa 1850s mahjongg set - with ivory and bamboo hand carved pieces, and a nice little camphorwood chest to keep them in with fitted drawers and inlay work of the 8 immortals. It has ivory ‘money’ sticks and wind of the round indicator, and a really cute little chinese style brass lock and key for the doors. Cannot be sold nowadays cos ivory and I have no documentation of when or where it was acquired. The pieces are hand coloured with lac, and are quite quite beautiful.
Family legend is that it was acquired by my dad’s Great-Great-Aunt Maggie, who was a character and a half if a somewhat abrasive one. She when to China in the 1850s to convert the heathen, who had done nothing to deserve this, so the family was not surprised when she got summarily evicted out of the country at the end of the Taiping Rebellion. So she went to Peru to convert the heathen there, and also got slung out of the country after an argument with the local Catholic authorities. She was a rabid Puseyite of the most extreme persuasion. She did have an eye for beauty though, and acquired quite a few glorious objects that are scattered around the family. My sister has the pearlshell inlaid ebony writing desk, I got the mahjongg set. I still have to decide who in the next generation to leave it to in my Will.
He got it at silver k, I think. I love The Muppet Show (the series and the 1979 movie, I know ALL the songs), and I love OT Star Wars - so this is my most impressive and treasure item.
On par with it, is the carved camphor wood chest I have that I keep my linen and towels in - inherited from my great-grandmothers estate.
Let’s play a game. What’s the most impressive thing you have in your home?
I have a telescope.
A circa 1850s mahjongg set - with ivory and bamboo hand carved pieces, and a nice little camphorwood chest to keep them in with fitted drawers and inlay work of the 8 immortals. It has ivory ‘money’ sticks and wind of the round indicator, and a really cute little chinese style brass lock and key for the doors. Cannot be sold nowadays cos ivory and I have no documentation of when or where it was acquired. The pieces are hand coloured with lac, and are quite quite beautiful.
Family legend is that it was acquired by my dad’s Great-Great-Aunt Maggie, who was a character and a half if a somewhat abrasive one. She when to China in the 1850s to convert the heathen, who had done nothing to deserve this, so the family was not surprised when she got summarily evicted out of the country at the end of the Taiping Rebellion. So she went to Peru to convert the heathen there, and also got slung out of the country after an argument with the local Catholic authorities. She was a rabid Puseyite of the most extreme persuasion. She did have an eye for beauty though, and acquired quite a few glorious objects that are scattered around the family. My sister has the pearlshell inlaid ebony writing desk, I got the mahjongg set. I still have to decide who in the next generation to leave it to in my Will.
I love mahjong. I’d love to learn it properly though.
500 is a dying art. I’m good at that.
If you can play gin rummy, mahjongg is pretty close. Just with solid tiles rather than cards.
I’ll shit it then. 😂
Melbcat 🥰
Melbcat is a treasure to all of us ❤️
My family.
Naw. Kids are good value. I bet your wife has a great sense of humour.
Aboriginal coffin. About 9ft long, hollow and covered in paintings.
That’s fucking cool! I used to visit an old aboriginal gravesite when I was a kid. There was something magical about that.
It’s inherited. At some point I’ll try to work out what mob it’s from and return it.
Oh wow 😭
Probably the aldi imitation blue Castello cheese
That deserves a decent cracker or two. Don’t let it down.
this framed print from my dad
He got it at silver k, I think. I love The Muppet Show (the series and the 1979 movie, I know ALL the songs), and I love OT Star Wars - so this is my most impressive and treasure item.
On par with it, is the carved camphor wood chest I have that I keep my linen and towels in - inherited from my great-grandmothers estate.
I know those chests well. I never owned one but always wanted one.