Turtle Wooden Mancala Travel Game Set | Kalaha, Oware

The Turtle Wooden Mancala Game combines function and traditional artistry. A great gift for board game enthusiasts, it’s perfect for kids learning math, couples who love competitive games, family game nights or anyone looking for a boredom buster. When not in use, its stunning batik design doubles as a stylish decor piece for display on shelves, coffee tables, or as a conversation starter.

Important Information

• Safety: ⚠️ Cowrie shells are a choking hazard. Children under 8 must be supervised by an adult at all times during gameplay.
• Pricing & customs: the listed price excludes any sales tax and import costs. The buyer is responsible for the additional duties or taxes that may incur.
• The painting on the mancala board may vary. Hand-painted by skilled artisans, each with their own distinct style. No two boards are exactly alike, making every piece a one-of-a-kind work of art that adds character and charm to your collection.

What's Included

• 1 hand-painted wooden mancala board
• 1 authentic batik fabric travel pouches for storage and portability, with 1 smaller pouches for storing the game pieces
• 1 pack of cowrie shells as traditional game pieces

About mancala

Mancala is one of the world's oldest two-player strategy games, played by moving stones, seeds, or shells across a row of pits to capture your opponent's pieces. It holds deep cultural roots across Southeast Asia. 

In Southeast Asia, mancala takes on unique regional forms, from congkak in Malaysia to sungkâ in the Philippines, each with their unique artistic designs.

About Batik – The Art Behind the Board

Batik, a traditional textile art from Java, uses a wax-resist dyeing technique. This technique has been practised for centuries. The word batik comes from the Javanese amba ("to write") and titik ("dots or points"), reflecting its detailed craftsmanship.

Batik tulis is the oldest form of batik making, where the wax is written or drawn (tulis) onto a length of fabric. Inspired by this timeless technique, we’ve applied the same intricate process to the wood surface of our mancala board games. 

The batik-making process involves three key stages:
- Mencanting – Wax is applied using a canting tool to create intricate patterns.
- Mewarna – The fabric is dyed, with waxed areas resisting color.
- Finishing – The fabric is dried and soaked in a fixing agent to preserve the colors.

How to Play Mancala

Setting Up

Place the board lengthwise between two players. Each player controls the five pits closest to them and their Store (the large pit on their right).

Gameplay

• Each player's score is the number of seeds in their Store.
• Fill all small pits with seeds, except the Stores.
• On your turn, pick up all seeds from one of your pits and drop them one by one counterclockwise, including your Store but skipping your opponent’s Store.

Winning the Game

The game ends when one player’s pits are empty. The opponent collects any remaining seeds in their pits and adds them to their Store. The player with the most seeds in their Store wins!

Wood