This set of table and four chairs were intended for playing mahjong, a game originating from China that involves four players and the use of tiles. The furniture are decorated with various motifs of flora and fauna symbolising the four seasons.Blackwood furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl was popular in the latter part of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), especially among southern Chinese merchants and affluent overseas Chinese communities. This set belongs to the Cantonese style of blackwood furniture with European influences in its design. They were popular among the Straits Chinese, who typically used it to furnish the reception halls of their houses.
