From page 156 in the September issue of British Vogue…and only £24,669!
BTW, that’s $38,716.76 in U.S. currency…
A closer look:
And speaking of British Vogue, how about this advertisement for an “embroidered Mahjongg suit” from a 1920s issue of the magazine – I like these prices much more than the price of that Mahjong set!
…well, here comes BIRD WARS!
You’d better sit down because you are about to see some of the most spectacular One Bams ever!!!
These tiles are all ivory, bone and bamboo, and bone and ebony tiles.
Next – get ready…
These tiles are resin, Chinese Bakelite, Chinese Catalin and French ivory.
All of these One Bams have something in common – they are all hand-carved. Wow!!!
And they are all part of the breathtaking collection – kept locked away in a secure location, of course – belonging to my dear friend, the wonderful, ethical, fantastic, and knowledgeable seller of vintage sets, Fracas1 – click on this link to see the beautiful vintage sets she has for sale on eBay.
But wait…there’s more!
These One Bams are all bamboo tiles, from 1920-1980, courtesy of my great friend, Tony. Double wow!
Want more?
These come from the collection of Shirley, who has been known to save the day for readers of this blog with matching tiles from her incredible orphanage. Triple wow!
Thanks to Fracas1, Tony, and Shirley, for so generously sharing these fabulous and amazing One Bams with us!
And, before I close today, let me share a poem with the first two lines started by Joy and the second two lines finished in a completely different email by Diane – and I don’t believe they even know one another! This is so fabulous – thanks, ladies!
Ten little birdies, all in a row,
Sitting on a Mah Jongg rack
Flew to a tree, made a show,
Rode the wind; didn’t look back.
Look at this magnificent set, courtesy of the Mah Jong Museum (owned and operated by the website, Where the Winds Blow and founded by the wonderful Jim May), made and carved in China probably in the early 1920s. The tiles are made of bone and then backed with ebony wood. I love this set not only for its beauty and craftsmanship but also because the tiles represent such incredible sentiments and meanings – you can read the translations for the tiles’ ideographs on the museum’s website.
My favorite translation encompasses the entire set, based on the Buddhist tale, “Heaven girls playing with flowers.” I love this set because of the kind, generous, and happy meanings of the tiles but especially for the magnificent and intricate Flowers. Beautiful carvings filled with beautiful thoughts to take with us into the new year.
Wouldn’t it be a treat to play Mah Jongg with this set? To see other beautiful and rare sets, go to the website for the Mah Jong Museum and have a great time!
Mah Jongg and Me 