mancala board

Nine adinkra symbols that convey West Africa's collective wisdom adorn the lid of this intriguing game of oware. It opens to reveal the playing field of twelve depressions. Oware is a game of skill and strategy designed for two players, challenging mental agility and alertness. The objective can be briefly described as "counting and capturing beads" and there are no chance factors involved. A player's strategy entirely depends upon reasoning and counting abilities. Because of this, aware has been used successfully throughout Africa for teaching children basic numbers and arithmetic.

Oware is one of the oldest games in the world. The earliest records describing the game were found in Arab religious texts dating to the Middle Ages, suggesting the game originated in the Middle East and spread from there to Africa, then to Asia with Arab traders, and to the Caribbean around 1640 via the African slave trade. Other experts place its origins in Central Africa; the Masai people state that oware was invented by Sindillo, the son of the first man, Maitoumbe, and was originally called geshe.

In Arab countries, the most common name for this game is mancala, an Arabic word meaning "to move." In some West African countries the depressions in the board are referred to as warri or wwari, which means "houses," thus the name owari. In Nigeria it is known as adi, which is also the name of the seeds used to play it; and in South Africa it is called ohoro. With different and exotic names such as congklak, dakon, aggalacang, and nogarata, it has also been played in Asia long before the Portuguese rounded the southern tip of Africa.

Today, oware represents the diversity of Africa, as some version of it is played in nearly every country on the continent. Legend relates that Shyaam aMbul aNgoong, founder of the Kuba kingdom of Central Africa, taught the game to his people to encourage foresight and calculation.

The set includes 42 beads and a detailed playing manual.

Outwit your opponent with this lovely mancala board game crafted by Balinese artisan Gunadi. Mancala is a traditional two-player strategy game that originated in Indonesia. This foldable game is handmade with albesia wood and hand-painted with a sprightly floral motif achieved through a traditional batik technique.

This traditional board game features a multicolor floral batik pattern and pebbles for playing with your friends all day. Presented by Java's Gunadi, mancala is a two-player game that encourages cunning. This playful item also has an iron hinge that allows the board to be easily folded.

This traditional game features a red floral batik pattern and pebbles for playing with your loved ones all day. Presented by Java's Gunadi, mancala is a two-player game that encourages cunning. This playful item also has an iron hinge that allows the board to be easily folded.

Traditional in several regions, mancala is a two-player game that encourages cunning. This board game features a red batik pattern and little pebbles for playing with your loved ones all day. Presented by Java's Gunadi, it also has an iron hinge that allows the board to be easily folded.

Mancala is a two-player game traditional in multiple regions. This board game features a charming floral batik design in green tones. Presented by Java's Gunadi, the set also includes pebbles for playing with your friends all day, and its iron hinge allows the board to be easily folded.

Mancala is a two-player game traditional in multiple regions. This board features a gorgeous floral batik design in red tones. Presented by Java's Gunadi, the set also includes pebbles for playing with your loved ones all day, and its iron hinge allows the board to be easily folded.

Hand-carved from regional albesia wood, this mancala board is covered in vivid colors and intricately designed motifs. Balinese artist Gunadi utilizes parang batik, one of the oldest batik motifs in Indonesia. Parang comes from the word pereng which means slope. Perengan depicts a diagonal line descending from high to low. The unbroken intertwining S motifs symbolize continuity.

Outwit your opponent with this lovely dakon board game presented by Balinese artisan Gunadi. Dakon is a traditional two-player mancala game originating in Indonesia. This game is hand made with wadang wood and features a sprightly floral motif achieved through a batik technique.

Immerse yourself in the world of Mancala, a classic two-player game that cultivates strategic prowess. Designed by Javanese artisan Retno Pratiwi, this board game set boasts an enchanting tilapia shape complemented by a lively floral batik pattern. Equipped with pebbles for extended play with friends, the set ensures hours of entertainment. The thoughtful addition of iron hinges allows for effortless folding, providing portability and practicality for an immersive gaming experience.

Embrace the allure of Mancala, a classic two-player game that fosters strategic thinking. This board game set designed by Javanese artisan Retno Pratiwi showcases a lovely turtle shape adorned with a vibrant floral batik pattern. With included pebbles for extended play with friends, the set is created with endless enjoyment in mind. The addition of iron hinges facilitates easy folding, enhancing the portability and convenience of this engaging game.

Designed by Ghanaian artisan Robert Kofi Ellis, this Oware game board adds a touch of African culture to any home. It is handcrafted of sese wood with aluminum accents to depict an elephant that holds the board atop its back. Oware belongs in the Mancala family, each player moving beads around the board in order to capture their opponent's pieces. A "capture" is awarded to a player when they can leave exactly two or three pieces in one or more of their opponent's houses. Says the artisan, "The Africa board game of Oware has been elevated to the ranks of chess, bridge, backgammon, draughts (checkers), scrabbles and all other classic “thinking” games by being highlighted at the 1st Mind Sports Olympiad which was held in London in 1997."