Fish-Shaped Mother-of-Pearl Gaming Counter
China, Canton (Guangzhou), 18th–early 20th century

The listing is for one gaming counter as shown below (it is shown from both sides, but it is a single piece). The buyer will receive this exact piece.

An authentic and finely hand-carved mother-of-pearl gaming counter in the form of a stylized fish, produced in Canton, the major export hub of southern China. From the 18th century onward, skilled workshops in Canton crafted such counters for the European market, supplying merchants, sea captains, and wealthy families who commissioned bespoke sets for use in card games such as whist. The fish form, along with ovals, rectangles, and armorial designs, was a popular motif, with the natural iridescence of the shell enhancing the engraved details of scales and fins.

This example, dating from the 18th to early 20th century, reflects both the artistry of Chinese export craftsmen and the enduring appeal of these tactile objects, which were widely collected in Europe.

Provenance: From an old UK collection assembled in the 1970s, ex-Stack's Bowers.
Dimensions: 57mmx13mm, 1.78 grams.

An elegant and historically significant piece, representing the thriving trade between China and the West, and a desirable addition for collectors of gaming antiques, mother-of-pearl carvings, and Chinese export art.

SKU xv3594-w78004a