There is not much documentation available about Piroxloid Products Corporation. The name of the company is interesting however. ‘Pirox’ can be associated with ‘Pyro-graphics’, the art of branding wood with images et cetera. And ‘loid’ can be linked to ‘celluloid’. I own two sets that have been treated with pyrography. The boxes have no Piroxloid signature. The tiles certainly do.
Weird. Because Piroxloid tends to use the same figures on all its boxes and manuals. A Mandarin (by now considered in the US as a racist image) and a Chinese with a straw hat.
Also typical is the downwards flying ‘Pe-Ling’, the bird on Bamboo 1. Dice and wind indicators usually share a little round box with often a wind character on its lid. Piroxloid tiles and accessories are mostly made of French Ivory, celluloid with an ivory pattern. Wooden tiles are used as well.
The Pung Chow Company was a manufacturer who entered the Mah Jongg market of the twenties with a remarkably great number of well designed sets in all price ranges. Bizarrely the company went bankrupt in 1925. Most likely to circumvent copyright, the name Pung Chow was
used in fake Chinese lettering on boxes and manuals. Nearly always accompanied by one or more very distinctive dragons. Remarkable are the silver colored, white dragons. 
The at the time renowned Mah Jongg author L.L. Harr wrote their well designed instruction manuals. Like the booklet ‘Pung Chow in 10 minutes. Without a Teacher.’. Available in 1923 for 25 dollar cents.
The at the time renowned Mah Jongg author L.L. Harr wrote their well designed instruction manuals. Like the booklet ‘Pung Chow in 10 minutes. Without a Teacher.’. Available in 1923 for 25 dollar cents.
