Gaming Counter with the Arms of Seton
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Before 1800, Scotland was a poor. It had few natural resources and offered little economic opportunity, prompting the Seton family of Touch[1] — whose crest and motto are engraved on this counter — to pursue wealth outside of the country.[2]
Beginning with Archibald Seton (1758-1818) in late 18th century, the Seton family became very involved in the China Trade. To date, we know of seven other Setons who worked for the East India Company spanning three generations,[3] making it difficult to determine who owned this counter. However, the piercings and degree of detail on this piece indicate that it was made between 1825 and 1840,[4] which suggests that it was made for one of Sir Alexander Seton’s (1772-1810) five children, the last of whom died in 1876.[5]
[1] Touch is the Seton family’s estate. It is located near present-day Stirling, Scotland.
[2] Bruce Lenman, An Economic History of Modern Scotland, 1660-1976 (1977)
[3] David Howard, Chinese Armorial Porcelain, Volume I (1974), p. 593.
[4] Bill Neal, Chinese Armorial Game Counters (Chezbill, 2008), p. 23.
[5] http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/alexander-seton_75449488, accessed April 2, 2016.
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