19TH CENTURY

Games tables were very popular in China during the Ming and early Qing dynasties, and were made in both square and rectangular forms. They were crafted in quantity for export in the 19th century, in conjunction with the growing popularity in Europe of games such as chess, backgammon and cards. Along with tables of this type, portable game and card boxes, playing pieces and accessories were also produced for export to the Western markets. These items were often made of a soft wood or papier-maché, which was lacquered and gilded with intriguing scenes of foreign life. For a closely related example, which was part of a group of lacquer and porcelain acquired in Canton in 1846 and shipped to Copenhagen, where it entered the collection of King Christian VIII, see Treasures from Imperial China: The Forbidden City and the Royal Danish Court, Copenhagen, 2006, p. 632, no. 215.