Gaming counters like these little fish were used in card game in the 1700s. The Harris has a number of gaming counters like this in its collection – in a wide variety of shapes such as circles and squares. Most are elaborately decorated. Mother-of-pearl counters were imported by the East India Company and were sold by the dozen, for around four shillings. Most were made and decorated in China. Gaming counters went out of fashion in the 1800s – as many Victorians disapproved of gambling games. Mrs French collected small decorative items like this in the early 1900s. Her favourite activity at weekends was driving around second hand shops looking for scent bottes, mineral samples, card cases and gaming counters like these.