Working outcomeA six-layer interpretation record with confidence visible.
Begin with the object
Describe exactly what appears: character, number, animal, plant, color, border, carving, printing, wear, and position within the set.
Separate six questions
Ask what it shows, what the language says, what it does in the named game, what relevant sources associate with it, what stories circulate, and what remains speculative.
- One layer does not prove another.
- Name place, period, and rules tradition.
- Cite translation and interpretation separately.
Let meaning be plural
A tile can have game function, maker intention, owner association, family story, market label, and later artistic interpretation without one canceling the others.
Keep the boundary visible
Generic identification belongs to MahjongCharm; playful witch content belongs to WitchesOfMahjong; unsupported “ancient wisdom” belongs nowhere.