Part of Shell Game (Kaiawase) Set

Unknown artist

The shell game was a popular pastime in the Edo period. Sets like this one were often included in a daimyo bride's trousseau. To play the game, a number of shells are divided between two boxes. One group is taken out and then matched one at a time to the halves from the second box. Pairs of related scenes from the Tale of Genji and other romances are painted on the inside of the shells as clues.