The Origin and Development of the Mahjong Tile Set. Part 3.

If, as seems likely, the 麻雀 ma qiao/Mahjong tile set is in part the result of the transfer on to a domino format of the three suits’ insignia and meanings from an early-mid Qing, money-suited playing card deck, then when did the Directions/Winds group, the ‘Dragons’ group and the groups of Flowers and Seasons appear? These, as far as the available evidence suggests, were not present in early-mid Qing money-suited playing card packs.

Was it at the origin point when the three suits’ insignia were put onto domino like pieces, or perhaps at a later point – either together or separately? Unfortunately, no answer is available at this time as to when these groups were originally added.

Fortunately, we do have some evidence that may tentatively suggest a sequence of events regarding the appearance of these groups. This will also illuminate what the composition of one variation of an early tile set may have looked like.