It will not come as a surprise to any of you that I love many different types of sets. I have a special place in my heart for one-of-a-kind ones, perhaps made for children to enjoy. I came upon this special little set, briefly on ebay, and I had to share it with you.  These tiles are hand-painted, not carved, and the set must have been loved.

How adorable are these Dragons? They might have even been painted by a child. Each one is different. They each have their own distinct looks: some look like caterpillars, others like dogs, and even T-Rexes.

 

 

The Wind characters have been painted with élan and enthusiasm. I like that the Western letters are on the top and bottom of the tiles so that they can be read both right-side up and upside down. I suspect that someone older must have worked on these tiles, if I am right about the Dragons.

 

These Craks are delightful, and the energy on the Chinese numbers and Wans radiates out from the tiles. Once again, the designs are much more sophisticated than those of the Dragons.

 

The Bams have their own unique designs, so likely done by someone with great creativity (unless they were copying some other set I have yet to find and identify).

 

The Dots have their own special style as well.

The more I think about it, the more I feel this set was made by several people, working together to make a set to be played with and enjoyed.  I imagine a scene around a table, with perhaps a parent or two, and a child, collaborating on a game  which would be a wonderful way to pass the time together as a family.

Certainly these tiles brought a smile to your face, as they did to mine.

A set does not have to be a masterpiece to be a treasure.