Mah Jongg: The Art of the Game

  By Ann Israel and Gregg Swain Mah Jongg: The Art of the Game is the first book to fully capture the story of the exotic and exciting game of Mah Jongg, offering an intimate look at the history of the game as well as the visual beauty of the tiles. When authors Ann Israel and Gregg Swain began playing Mah Jongg, they were unaware of the vintage collections that existed not only in the United States but also in places as far-ranging as Africa to New Zealand. Slowly, they started to collect their own Mah Jongg sets, and as their collections grew, so did their appreciation of the history of, and interest in, the game. Finding few references, Israel and Swain set out to create a book that chronicles the early beginnings of the game and documents Mah Jongg sets and accouterments from the most basic, made simply of paper, to some of the most opulent sets made of precious materials. Recognized and respected scholars and game experts have collaborated with Israel and Swain, contributing impo