What in the World: Contextualizing Mancala

Mancala (as it is commonly referred to now), refers broadly to a class of board games predominately played in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South America and Africa. While its heaviest influence resides in those areas, it is played all over the world; America, the Carribean, Russia, and Germany have noted the popularity of the game as well. It is also known as Wari, Khala, Bao, Mangala, or by any number of names to correspond with the 200 documented versions. 

Mancala is generally played on a board, or with a version dug or carved into stone or earth. Rows of circles, sometimes with two larger circles on the end, are created to house seeds, shells, beans, nuts, marbles, stones, or another item readily available to use as a small game piece. The object of the game is to capture your opponents pieces without losing many of your own. The intricacies of Mancala can be quite hard to pick up, and there is no one way of playing it. In general, the different versions can be combined in to three categories: Two-Row Mancala, Three-Row Mancala, and Four-Row Mancala. Of these, Two-Row is the oldest and most well known. 

The Doug and Risa Polombaum Collection has a mixture of these three versions displayed in the objects, and the majority are categorized as Mancala boards. The lengths, widths, number of holes, and inclusion of circles at the end of each board varies. These boards reflect their culture or place of origin in their style and decoration. Many feature symbols such as fish, birds, flowers, lions and human figures. Some are even carved to resemble animals (fish, elephants, crocodiles) or objects (tables, books).  

The boards can be made from different materials, depending on what is available from the land or to the people themselves. Objects in the collection include boards made with wood, paint, aluminum, metal, brass, bronze, and cowrie shell. Some of them are gilt, and many of the boards from this collection are richly decorated and carved. However, the game can be played simply, on a make-shift basis. The different variations, material, decorations and uses point to an array of social functions and meanings to the societies and classes they are played in.