Collections

Homemade Mahjong Set

Homemade Mahjong Set - Game
Accession #: 4134.24
Title: Homemade Mahjong Set
Object Type: Game
Participants:
Hirata, Kazuma (creator)
Physical Description: A plywood box with three interior plywood drawers closed with a vertically sliding front cover. Painted with gloss brown paint and decorated with playing piece icons on the front lid, 2 sweepers with brooms on the side. The playing pieces are small rectangular blocks of wood with painted dots. A plastic drawer pull acts as a carrying handle attached to the top of the box. Drawer 1: 82 tiles with painted dots, bamboo, and Chinese characters. Drawer 2: 54 tiles with painted dots, bamboo, and Chinese characters. Drawer 3: 2 dice, 4 tiles with Chinese characters, 34 sticks with 5 dots each; 8 sticks, 27 sticks that are plain.
Description: Perhaps Kazuma ("Frank") Hirata kept this handmade mahjong set when he was released from a Department of Justice camp in 1944. Or maybe another former internee left it at Hirata's Clem Hotel in Spokane, as many Japanese stayed there during the resettlement period. Although resident Japanese families remained in Spokane during World War II, local FBI had arrested Hirata and another Japanese community leader attending a wedding held on Pearl Harbor Day.
Category: History
Subjects/Topics/Concepts:
Japanese (Diversity->Asian), Game (Recreation)
Dimensions:
height 8 1/2"
length 7 3/4"
depth 6 1/4"
Materials/Techniques:
plastic (organic material) ( -> -> ) (Material)
paint ( -> ->coating (material)) (Material)
plywood ( -> -> -> ->wood (plant material)-> ) (Material)
Related Exhibits:
Credit Line: Gift of Motoko Hirata, 2006

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