wood

In the traditional style of dakon, this board game is handcrafted of wood and decorated with traditional batik designs. Javanese artisan Diana Dewi invites you to play this classic Indonesian game. Each sawah (hole) is filled with five to seven stones and the game is played in turns. Similarly to mancala, each player collects the biji sawo (stones) from one hole and deposits them one-by-one into the following holes. The player scores a capture if the final stone is dropped into an empty hole. If that empty hole is on their own side, known as nembak, they capture the stones of the hole on the opposite side, depositing them into their "rice bowl." If the empty hole is on their opponent's side and each adjacent hole contains an equal number of stones, known as mikul, then the player captures the stones from each adjacent hole, as well as the final stone from their previous hand.

Balinese artisan Ketut Sandi brings us this beautiful backgammon set made entirely of cempaka wood. This traditional board game is designed for two players and has all the necessary pieces to spend a fun morning or afternoon with friends or family. May the luckiest player win!

The serene nights in Bukhara inspire a stunning walnut wood chess set handcrafted by the talented artisan Mukhamedali from Uzbekistan. After embellishing the item with hand-painted traditional scenes from the city and the desert, the artisan equips the item with a drawer that allows you to store each piece neatly.

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.

A traditional village hut adorns the external lid of this oware foldable board game. From Ghana's Ernestina Oppong Asante, the oware board is carved by hand of seasoned sese wood and the game is played with 48 white marbles.

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 in it. The player's strategy entirely depends upon the ability for reasoning and counting.

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, believing 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" (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.

Having transcended the passing of the centuries, oware has been enjoyed as a family game, a ceremonial right of passage, or as a form of recreation among friends. It would be hard to find a greater challenge of mathematics, or a more attractive one.

An African elephant and a dog challenge each other in a friendly game of oware on a board designed with a practical handle. From Ernestina Oppong Asante, the oware board is carved by hand of seasoned sese wood and the game is played with 48 white marbles.

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 in it. The player's strategy entirely depends upon the ability for reasoning and counting.

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, believing 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" (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.

Having transcended the passing of the centuries, oware has been enjoyed as a family game, a ceremonial right of passage, or as a form of recreation among friends. It would be hard to find a greater challenge of mathematics, or a more attractive one.

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.

Majestic details and masterful techniques transfer the glorious ambiance of the Uzbekistani palaces to this sublime chess set by Farhod Matyaqubov. The artisan uses his expertise in woodworking methods to create this distinguished walnut wood set, equipped with two faux velvet-lined drawers for storing the pieces and a lacquered finish that enriches the wood's natural brown hue. Adorned with classic floral carvings, the design also honors the region's history in each of the pieces that compose the game.

Unlock the boundless potential of your mind with this tangram puzzle, a timeless classic expertly fashioned by Uzbek artisan Hojiakbar Vohidov using walnut wood. Each meticulously crafted piece, known as tan, holds the key to unlocking countless geometric formations, challenging your spatial reasoning and fostering quality time with loved ones in a captivating, screen-free experience.

Taking place in the majestic lands of Tajikistan, this battle of strategy and wisdom calls on you to show your innate talent! Crafted by Kodir Egamov, this pine and birch wood chess set draws inspiration from the region's palatial complexes, depicting the pieces of each team in glamorous yellow and blue hues. The box can be folded to serve as a board, as its exquisite design perfectly matches the game's style. On top of that, each piece comes with a lacquered finish for a splendid vibe.

Challenge your brain with this sleek and fun backgammon set designed by Ashish Mehta. Designed with acacia and Indian elm woods, a smooth rectangular box opens to reveal an expertly hand-carved board that will definitely stand out from the rest of the boards in your family's game room. With each well-crafted piece and the box's green velvet lining, this set is a lovely addition to your home decor in addition to being an enjoyable game to reach for during your leisure time.

After centuries of battles, heroes, miracles and changes, the city of Bukhara has survived, showing the modern world a glimpse of the ancient world while developing into a vanguardist city full of culture and charming stories. Inspired by the place's ancestral complexes and traditional tales, Uzbekistani artisan Mukhamedali crafts a walnut wood chess set painted by hand and adorned with classic motifs. It includes a board in a black base hue that can also be used as a box for storing the pieces and carrying them to the next match scenario.