Chinese Shell Games

Countless game counters used for gambling that are made of mother of pearl can still be found today in European and American collections. Some of them are as elaborately crafted as the plaque in the Rijksmuseum, while others are more subtle in their decorations. They were made for export, and it is generally assumed that they did not play an important role in local material culture. But what about shells in Chinese games? As archaeological findings have shown, during the Tang dynasty (618-907) shells played an important role in Chinese drinking games in which they were used as dice cups.[Yang 2016, p 69] In Tang dynasty tombs, a variety of other shells and objects made in imitation of shells have been found, for example cosmetic containers that resemble clams. During the early modern period, when the plaque was made, shells and mother-of-pearl objects from China and India were important collectibles in Europe, but considered cheap and quite common in Asia itself.