A complete traveling mahjong set housed in a hand-carved wood case, likely made in China for export during the early 20th-century mahjong craze that swept the West in the 1920s. The lid is carved in high relief with a pair of confronting stylized bird heads — reading as phoenixes, with hooked beaks and feathered, layered texturing — flanking a pierced arched carrying handle, the crest bordered by a fine diamond-lattice pattern. The case front is carved with a recessed reserve depicting two robed figures in a garden setting beneath a stylized floral trellis, framed by geometric key-fret and triangular banding, with the same diaper-pattern molding continuing around the case sides. Inside, a fitted wooden tray divides the tiles by suit for storage.
The set includes the full run of bamboo, circle/dot, and character suits, along with wind and dragon tiles, a red "Big Joker" tile (indicating the set was adapted for, or later used with, American Mah Jongg League rules), and a set of pictorial flower and season tiles hand-painted with birds, blossoms, and landscape motifs. Blank spare tiles are included as well. The tiles appear to be bone-faced over a bamboo backing, with hand-tinted red and black pips — a construction typical of the period, though this is worth confirming before listing. Accessories include a set of eight dice in cream and blue, a cylindrical bone-and-metal dice shaker retaining a partial paper label, a small run of bamboo/bone scoring sticks marked with pip counts for traditional score-keeping, a group of round bone counters hand-painted with Chinese characters in green and red, a bone ring, and a small vintage tin canister bearing an old promotional paper label.
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. This set is amazingly complete! The case shows wear as appropriate for it's age and use. The case has a couple loose joints but it is not affecting the way the sets usage.
