Chinese games with dice

Chinese dice* consist of small cubes of bone marked on each
side with incised spots from one to six in number, which are
arranged in the same manner as the spots on modem European
dice, as well as on those of Greece and Rome of classical antiquity ;
the 'six' and 'one,' 'five~ and 'two,' and 'four' and 'three,' being
on opposite sides.
The ' four' and the 'one' spots on Chinese dice are painted red, and
the 'six,' 'five,' 'three' and 'two ' are painted black. The 'one '
is always much larger and more deeply incised than the other
spots, possibly to compensate for its opposite, the 'six.'
·The origin of the custom of painting the 'fours' red is accounted
for, according to the Wa Kan san sai dzu e t by the following
story: An emperor of the Ming dynasty (A. D. 1368-1643) played
at sugoroku with his queen. He was almost defeated by her, but
had one way of winning through the dice turning ' fours.' He
cried and threw the dice and they came as he desired, where upon
he was exceedingly glad and ordered that the ' fours • thereafter be
painted red, in remembrance cf his winning.