Catalogue of the collection of playing cards bequeathed to the Trustees of the British museum by the late Lady Charlotte Schreiber.

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CATALOGUE OF CARDS.

ii. Huaho (Hwahaw): " Flower Harmony " [Nos. 2-4].
No. 2. In a wooden box (from Ningpo), containing 126 bone and
blackwood tablets (cards) and six similar blanks. The game consists of
the 21 Tenquew cards (page 2) (1) plain (2) illuminated (3) doubled,
three of the first, two of the second, and one only of the third. There
are thus 3 X 21, or 63, plain, 42 illuminated, and 21 doubled, together
with the six blanks, which serve the purpose of Jokers. These 21 suits
(for such they almost are) are divided into three classes:
(a). Small cards: "fives" (1, 2-); "sevens" (I, 2); "eights"
(-, ]); and "shorts" (a, a;, 4).
(b). Middle cards: " long twos " (); "long threes " ();
" plums" (a).
(c). Great cards: 5,, 4,; -, 1 2 4
The rationale of this division will be at once clear on reference back
to the order of the Tenquew cards. The " great " cards are the first four
civilians and the first two and last two military (the last two forming the
highest pair in the pack), the middle cards are the three other doubles,
and the " small" cards are the remainder.
No. 3. Pasteboard pack (Shanghai) blue-figured backs; the 126
Hwahaw cards and three jokers (cards bearing a portrait only). The
"illuminated " cards bear a portrait, not, as in the case of Nos. 2 and 4,
a coarse spray of flowers.
No. 4. Pasteboard pack (Ichang), oiled paper, figured backs; the
126 cards only, no jokers. The "doubled" cards bear a portrait instead
of being, as in Nos. 2 and 3, actually doubled.
iii. Variations of Hwahaw [Nos. 5-7].
No. 5. From Ichang, oiled paper, figured backs similar to No. 4.
There are only five cards of each of the 21 Tenquew kinds, instead of six;
there is no distinction of "flowered" and "doubled," but the "great"
cards-which are the first four civilians and the last three military(2, ~, -)
-bear a portrait. Total = 105.
No. 6. From Chungking, oiled paper, dotted backs; 111 cards, viz.,
five each of the 21 kinds (four plain cards and one bordered), and six
jokers (four of one kind and one each of two other kinds).
No. 7. From Chungking, oiled paper, maroon plain backs. Seven
each of the 21 kinds (four of the seven illuminated, three plain).
Total = 147.
[Note.-Of the - illuminated there are only three, while of the -
illuminated there are five-clearly a mistake in putting up the pack.
iv. Canton domino pack [No. 8].
No. 8. This contains the 21 Tenquew cards simply quadrupled,
without further marks of difference. The game is played on a different
principle to Hwahaw.