What is the History of the Antique Mother of Pearl Gaming Counters?
These exquisite pieces of jewelry possess a history as charming and unique as each piece is beautiful. Two hundred years ago these hand-etched pieces were used as gambling chips, the carved Mother of Pearl gaming counters have been designed into lovely pendants. Etched into each counter, symbolic parable poems showing people engaged in activities of the time provide great insights into early Chinese culture and history. Because many of the chips were custom made for British royalty and nobility, some pieces also have family crests and/or initials inscribed on one side. Most of the counters were crafted while the brilliant philosopher ruler Ch’ ien Lung was in power from 1736 until 1796. These are the beautifully etched pieces of Mother of Pearl, which can withÂstand strong magnification. The symbolic pictures etched into each piece tell the stories of Ruler Ch’ ien Lung’s 34,000 philosophical poems, which embrace the ideals of revered and influential Chinese philosophers. Another varie
