Some games you play when there's nothing else on. Mahjong isn't one of them. It's the game people put in the calendar: the same four players, the same afternoon, a pot of coffee or a bottle of something cold, and a set that comes out of the cupboard and onto the table.
Tile Sundays started with that set. Most of the ones on sale are made to be put away again: plain tiles, a vinyl case, the cheapest thing that plays. The beautiful ones are made to be admired from a distance and cost as much as a weekend away.
We wanted the one in between. A set you'd happily leave out after the game, because it looks good on the table. One that's bright enough to start a conversation and well made enough to last years of Sundays.
So we kept the range small. Three sets, each with its own original artwork and its own colors. Cobalt Garden, in deep blue with a garden of flowers, bamboo and pavilions. Elegant Crane, white faces on soft jade, with cranes in flight. Jade Beauty, white and green with palm trees and shells, for a game that feels like a holiday. Every set has 160 tiles, jokers included, ready for the American game.
The tiles are acrylic. That's what gives them their color and their weight in the hand. It also means they're worth looking after, so every set ships packed to travel and arrives ready for its first game.
That's all we do. Three sets, chosen for the table, for the people who keep the date.