Vintage Asmat Tribe Mancala Board Game – Wood Carving – Primitive Decor – Asian Folk Art – Artisan Made Home Decor

Description

Comes with a wooden container to store mancala seeds.

This is a vintage item, some signs of use are to be expected. Please look at the photos carefully before purchasing.

SIZE :
23.6″ x 7.5″ x 3.5″ (inches)
60 x 19 x 8.9 cm

This rare wooden mancala board game is expertly hand-carved by the Asmat tribe of the Papua province of Indonesia. Two anthropomorphic figures as supporting legs, with seven small pits and two storage pits at either end for holding the seeds during gameplay. Carved from a single piece of ebony wood.  

As one of the Pacific's tribe with renowned woodcarving cultures, Asmat carvings are celebrated by collectors worldwide for their blend of functionality and artistry, and their powerful connection to ancestral traditions.

Woodcarving is is a highly-revered tradition among the Asmat people. Master carvers, known as wowipits, continue the legacy of Fumeripits, the mythological first human and original woodcarver. In Asmat belief, wood is the essence of life, and carving is an act that bridges the human and natural worlds. The subject matter of Asmat carving includes nature elements (trees and animals) and anthropomorphic figures as a form of respect to their ancestors.