Antique Chinese Mahjong 96 Dovetail Tiles in Carved Relief Gold Wash Wood Chest

Description

This listing is for the old partial Mahjong set in a hand carved wood box that you see in the photos. Some research and its general appearance tells me that it is probably from the early part of the twentieth century if not earlier. I am guessing that it was made in China. I leave it to the buyer to decide how old it is and where it was made.
Overall, under average lighting, the lighter areas of the box appear to be a pale and somewhat dull gold color. When I look at it under a bright light or brightly lit magnification, the gold looks somewhat metallic and more yellow like gold. I am guessing that a kind of a light gold wash has been applied over a dark background and that time and soil has darkened the gold color somewhat.
The photos should give you an idea of what I am talking about. I leave it to the buyer to decide what the finish is.
There are 96 tiles. I believe that the tiles are made from ox bone and bamboo because that is what they look like and that is typical of old mahjong tiles. As you can see, the ox bone and bamboo of the tiles are joined with a dovetailed  configuration. Each tile measures close to 1 1/8 by 3/4 inches. The bamboo tops are slightly domed. Measured to the top of the domes they measure close to 7/16 inches thick. The thickness of the bone relative to the bamboo can be seen in a photo.
Not including the handle, the chest measures close to 8 by 8 3/4 by 8 7/8 inches high.
The condition is much like you see it in the photos. The chest might benefit from a light and very careful cleaning. There is a break on the front of one of the drawers. There are some cracks in the drawers The panel that covers the drawers can be removed and stored in a slot beneath the drawers. There is a crack and what looks like a repaired break near the top right hand edge that panel. The panel will not stay in place if the chest is moved around. There is a slot at the bottom of the opening that it fits into but there is nothing to hold it at the top. There is a gap between the top of the panel and the opening when the panel is in place. It has two small slots at the top that line up with two small slots at the top of the area where it fits over the drawers. One of the slots is filled with something that I have not identified. I think that the slots have something to do with holding it in place but I have not imagined how. The felt on the bottom of the chest shows wear and staining. In one of the sides, there is a tiny round hole in the bottom part of a lady's dress that is a mystery to me. I shows as a tiny dark spot in a photos. There are minor irregularities and signs of use of the chest that you can see in photos. The tiles show signs of use in the form of soil, discoloration and wear. The top of one tile is damaged. I have spotted two very tiny dings in a couple of tiles while taking the photos. Otherwise, the tiles are fine and shown.
I
guarantee this
item
to be as described and represented by the photos. The photos are part of the description so please look carefully at all of them.
Please know that the lighting in my photos is uneven and that there might be shadows or reflections. The colors on my monitor look close to but not exactly like the actual colors. Different monitors may show different colors. I often say that an item measures or weighs “close to” because in my opinion no measurements are exact and some things are difficult to measure.
I like to leave feedback after I know that the item has arrived and that the buyer is satisfied.
I reserve the right to cancel any bids without explanation.

I frequently purchase signature delivery for my more valuable packages because of the possibility of them being stolen off of a porch or damaged by weather. I often but not always ship the same or the next day. Often, I have a double wall box custom made for larger items and that might result in a short delay. When I use packing peanuts, they are usually biodegradable. Sometimes, I use used boxes.
Please email me with any questions or suggestions. I do not ship on weekends. I might not be available to answer email on weekends.