Comprising nine mother-of-pearl gaming counters, each carved as a koi fish, engraved to the front and obverse with fish scale pattern and pigeon motifs. (9)
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Qing Dynasty Mother-of-Pearl Gaming Counters “Gaming counters are made from ivory, shaped like chopsticks but are half of their lengths. Both sides are decorated with colourful sketches. If ivory is unavailable, peeled bamboo stems can be used. When gamblers start the game, they will be given counters as monetary tokens. Gaming counters vary in size, some could be used to represent a hundred or ten. After the game, with the winners and losers identified, the gamblers can use the counters to exchange for money.” Excerpt of Categorized Anthology of Petty Matters from the Qing period Under an imperial edict issued by Emperor Qianlong in 1757, Guangdong province became the only commercial hub in China, designated for trading between the West and the East. Over the century that ensued, the province held a firm monopoly on Chinese maritime trade. Endless supplies of silk, porcelain, tea and various made-in-Guangzhou handicraft items were shipped from the port for export around the world. Before the advent of electricity in the 18th and 19th centuries, Europeans needed a form of entertainment to deliver them from the boredom through the long winter nights. A Chinese card game that made its way into Europe since the 14th century rapidly rose in popularity as a recreational and social activity. Gaming counters, which were used to calculate the scoring, became a ubiquitous sight on the gaming tables. Cantonese people of the olden days embraced gambling as a recreation. They loved the game so much that they could play in small, confined spaces. Similarly, the art of engraving tiny gaming counters reached a new height. Crisscrossing lines were inscribed on mother-of-pearl counters by the craftsmen in Canton. This carvings form a highlighting effect on the background colour, which made the motifs and patterns look more exquisite. Such delicate craftsmanship, which could not be replicated in Europe, caught the attention of traders. Mother-of-pearl counters made in Guangdong were initially taken back to Europe by ship captains and cargo hands for private trading. These items occupied limited space onboard, but the profits they generated were immense. Rising demand from the West prompted European traders to commission the production of mother-of-pearl counters in southern China for export. Engulfed in the craze for “Oriental exotica”, the European privileged class turned to collecting bespoke mother-of-pearl counters engraved with family monograms. Given the delivery period of one to two years, these items became status symbols for their owners. Gaming counters in vogue during this period were circular or fish-shaped. Square and elongated chips were to appear later. Some of the gambling jargons were inspired by these shapes. For example, the winning and losing of “fish” were highlighted in Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen. Card games ceased to be popular after 1840. As demand for gaming counters declined sharply, their exports from China gradually ground to a halt. Only a rare handful of gaming counters remains in the present day. As a witness of the erstwhile East-West interactions, these gambling chips are greatly treasured for the historical and cultural values they now represent.