Let's start out with the box.
This box is a small jewelry box made from real tortoise shell.
It was made in the 1920's and is quite rare and valuable.
To give you some idea, a similar sized box (just a box, very plain)
was sold on eBay in late 2001 for $1875.00  + - a few.
This is far nicer so I think you get the idea.  The top of the box around the handle is a carved dragon, and it is exquisite, hopefully one of these days I can get a decent picture of it for you.

The tiles were purchased from New York Findings, a jewelry company
in New York of course.  I talked to Mel on the phone and he told me
this story.

Mel's uncle owned the company in the 1960's and he traveled around
the world. When in Hong Kong he visited the Kwong Gat Chung Ivory Wares and Mahjong Factory and purchased a full sized ivory mah jong set. After returning to the US he decided to have the same company create "charms". There were 220 different designs.  These are not actually tiles but charms, they are made of pure elephant ivory. Mel said that one day back a few years ago they were cleaning out one the warehouses and found a whole crate of these wonderful charms.
He sorted them and packaged them and has been selling them off on eBay for the last few years. I was lucky enough to get one and I do treasure it Thanks Mel, I love the story and I am sure you will be pleased with the box I found to store my tiles.   I also have one of the original cardboard boxes these great little works of art came in.