Today you will learn about dominoes in ancient China. Dominoes are quite simple to describe. These are double-sided tiles with numbers represented by dots on each side. Although they look deceptively simple, dominoes can form the basis of incredibly complex games. It is difficult to determine the exact time when dominoes were invented, but historical researchers agree that they were invented in China. Most believe they first appeared in the early 1100s. Chinese workers who came to the United States claimed that tiles were invented by Hung Ming, a romantic hero who invented tiles and games to entertain his soldiers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Other Chinese leaders believed to have invented dominoes include Keung T'ai Kung and Fan Lai. Some printed sources and historical records, however, claim that the tiles were invented by a statesman and presented in 1120 to Emperor Hwui Tsung, but did not come into widespread use until several years later. Eventually, in the early 18th century, tiles were introduced to European citizens. Dominoes originated from games played with two dice. The number of possible number combinations when rolling two dice is 21, so traditional Chinese dominoes had at least 21 pieces. However, some tiles were sometimes duplicated, giving each set a varying number of tiles. Modern sets typically have 28 pieces, including one tile without dots and six tiles without dots on a single side. Some sets are elaborately designed, with embossing and art. Today's dominoes are not the ones that were first used in China. “Western dominoes” have only been around for 250 years, according to the University of Waterloo. However, the dominoes used in China are not really different: they are also flat and two-sided. But the little indentations – called “pips” – are different colors on each side. The tiles are also smaller than Western sets. The first dominoes were probably made of bone, but today they can be made from anything from bone to ivory to silver to plastic and even cardboard. Many are made from composite materials. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Personalized Essay It was the Venetians who were the first to call tiles “dominoes.” The name was adopted from a type of mask, called a "domini", that many people wore during the Venetian carnival. The masks were white with black dots and were named for their resemblance to the black and white hoods worn by the Dominus, or Dominican monks...