Because she, and her legendary characters would have been as familiar with these delicate Mother of Pearl gaming counters as playing cards! (In fact, if you watch the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice, you will see the characters playing cards at a house party with these counters!)
The Age of Discovery created trade routes with China - and sea-faring trade companies brought back exotic silks, spices, and handmade goods never before seen in Europe. Anything Chinese was all the rage, and amongst the most popular items were the beautiful mother-of-pearl chips known as gaming counters which were hand crafted between 1700 and 1840. Our gaming counters come out of a collection once used by a wealthy English family.
