Maasai Enkeshui or Engesho Game
Origin: Kenya
Approx Age: Mid 20th Century
Materials: Wood
Dimensions cm: 70 long x 17 wide
Ref. Number: 0912
£525.00 RESERVED
A stunning Maasai Enkeshui or Engesho game by the Massai people of Kenya as a form of entertainment. The Massai call this game “Enkeshui” or “Engesho”. It is a rather complex mancala game, and bears some similarities to the Layli Goobalay mancala played in Somali land. Made of a single piece of wood with 24 hollowed out bowls. Lovely patina showing good signs of being well played.
Provenance: Ex Seward Kennedy Collection
History
Mancala games/boards differ from region to region in style of the board and construction ie: some Mancala have legs and feet, ornate bases and the number of hollows may vary. This Massai Mancala displays a set of 24 hollows and presents in quite a basic form showing good signs of constant use. This was acquired from an old UK collection, a beautiful, old and authentic piece of every day used Kenyan art. Mancala is a generic name for a family of 2-player turn-based strategy board games played with small stones or seeds and rows of holes or pits in the earth, a board or other playing surface. The objective is usually to capture all or some set of the opponent’s stones. Versions of the game have been played for at least hundreds of years around the world.
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