Card game — Mhing, England, 1991
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1991
Card game in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number B.16:1 to 6-2004), made in England, dated 1991. The museum's brief description reads: Box card game, Mhing, made in England by J W Spears & Sons PLC in 1991.
Museum description: A black box with Mhing written in gold, with a gold and red design underneath the title. The company logo appears in the bottom right hand corner. Inside the box is a black plastic tray with a sloped side for dealing cards. In the tray are three packs of cards two of these are still sealed. There is also a pad of score sheets, a set of rules and set of sheets detailing different ways of scoring. And a green pencil.
The museum records it as Printed card and paper, measuring Length 24.5 cm; Height 6 cm; Width 16 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The game of Mhing is based on a game from ancient China known as Mah Jong. Though to have been developed by a great Chinese philosopher about 500 BC. The ancient game would have been played with wooden or ivory tablets rather than playing cards. The game was introduced to English clubs in Shanghai around 1900 and became very popular. An official set of rules were not printed until the 1920s when the game became a craze in America.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Card, Paper fiber product
- Dimensions
- Length 24.5 cm; Height 6 cm; Width 16 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Printed card and paper
- Place recorded
- England
Identification
- Museum object name
- Card game
- Museum object number
- B.16:1 to 6-2004
- Museum system number
- O109411
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.