Discovery

When I first looked at the African game board that I would be researching, my first thoughts were of pure observation.  I looked carefully at the carvings of the people along the sides of the game board and the large head positioned on one of the shorter sides.  My next step was to draw the artwork and make sure all of my observations were recorded.  After interviewing the owner about the piece and discovering interesting information concerning the cultural context of the piece, it was time to start researching.  It was necessary to look at many sources for this type of research in order to compare similar works of art and find meaning behind this wooden sculpture.  Overall, the discovery led to some interesting findings concerning the culture of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

Cultural Context

These types of game boards, generically known as Mankala, are usually found in the town square.  They may be carved out of large tree trunks, along which many games can take place at the same time.  The game is played with two people, each person sitting on either of the longer sides of the board.  Four seeds are placed in each of the carved wooden pockets.   The row of six pockets closest to each player is considered his to try to keep filled with seeds.  The players take turns by picking up all of the seeds from one of the pockets and distributing one seed to each of the pockets in order.  The first player to empty the other player’s six pockets wins the game.

Ayo, as it is called in the Yoruba region of Africa, is usually played during the day, after work is finished.  It is not just a game for the older crowd; in fact, many young children learn how to play Ayo in order to sharpen their math skills.  Ayo is generally played by people of the same age group and gender, meaning men play with men, women play with other women, and children play amongst themselves.  The mixing of these groups is very uncommon.  As a tradition of African society linked to belief in male superiority, males and especially elders, commonly separate themselves from women and children in order to display their masculinity and authority