‘Mancala’ is a game for two players, which is widespread through all of Africa south of the Sahara. Based on its fundamental principles it is a counting and capturing game and comes originally from Ancient Egypt. It is known through all Africa also by many other names, such as ‘Awele’, ‘Owari’, ‘Makpon’, ‘Serata’ etc. ‘Mancala’ can be played in simple, round depressions in the ground, or with such finely executed gameboards such as the present example. Two players sit opposite each other on the long sides of the Mancala board, and fill ‘their’ holes with playing stones (stones, nuts, seeds, or similar). Then the fields of the opponent must be jumped over with one’s own playing stones. The player may take the opponent’s stones over which he has jumped. The one who has taken all the opponent’s stones is the winner.
The Mancala gameboard of the Dan has twelve holes, six on each of the long sides. It stands on four short feet with serrated edges and geometric lines in relief on the exterior. On one of the narrow sides is an open ‘cup’, carved out from the same piece, for the captured playing stones, cut into a spiral-shaped projection.
Another peculiarity of this Mancala board, cut out of one piece of wood and dyed dark brown, is the fine Dan female head on the other narrow side of the gameboard. This head in the typical Dan style is very carefully formed, and displays as a hairstyle a low central crest and two side plaits tied high up. A piece with an accomplished repair to the side ‘cup’ (for the playing stones) and only a few, minor cracks (above and on the long sides), but with a good, old and convincing usage patina (e.g. on the playing holes).
Height: c. 13.5 cm; length: 81 cm.
First half of the 20th century. (ME)

Provenance:
Austrian private collection.

Lit.:
‘Kunst aus Afrika, Amerika & Ozeanien’ by Judith Miller, ill. p. 27, 71, 81.