Strategy game 'Awalé' - Dan - Côte d'Ivoire
05
days
11
hours
07
minutes
44
seconds
Starting bid
€ 1
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Selected by Julien Gauthier
A decade of experience in historical arms, armour, and African art.
Estimate € 150 - € 200
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Jeu de stratégie “awalé”, a wooden game board from Côte d'Ivoire carved by the Dan (Yacouba) people, measuring 86 cm in length.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Ivory Coast
Dan
Wood
Height: 145 mm
Width: 170 mm
Length: 860 mm
This Awalé game board, belonging to the great family of mancala games, measures 86 cm in length. This particularly important dimension makes it a prestige object of West Africa, originating from Ivory Coast and carved within the Dan ethnicity (also called Yacouba).
Object analysis allows us to detail its structure and understand its traditional functions.
1. Stylistic Characteristics and Morphology
This board, carved from a single block of dense wood (monoxyle), testifies to the Dan sculptors’ excellence in utilitarian prestige objects:
• The Playing Space: The board features the classic 12-holes configuration (two rows of six holes), typical of the Awalé variant. The central edge that separates the two rows is adorned with small geometric relief motifs, in the shape of elongated diamonds evoking stylized shells or traditional scarifications.
• The Lateral Receptacles: At each end, connected by a curved section acting as a handle, are two large deep hemispherical cups. They serve as reserves to store the seeds captured during the game.
• The Base: The underside of the board is characterized by four massive, square-shaped corner feet carved from the mass. This low, sturdy footing provides a perfect sitting surface when the game is placed directly on the ground or on a mat, protecting the body of the game from humidity. One can also discern fine traces of ironworking and a patina of rugged use.
2. Functional Use and Social Status among the Dan
Beyond its ludic-educational aspect, an Awalé of this size holds major social, political, and symbolic importance:
• A Game of Strategy and Calculation: Awalé is a pure strategy game (no luck) based on the distribution and capture of seeds (often seeds from the Caesalpinia bonduc tree). The aim is to “feed” your side and capture the opponent’s marbles. It is a traditional tool for teaching quick calculation and sociability.
• A Prestige Object for Notables: With its 86 cm length, this board far surpasses the size of common portable models. It is an object of dignitary status, meant to crown the court of a family head, a notable, or beneath the palm-house. Displaying such a board asserted the social rank, prosperity, and power of its owner within the Dan community.
• Ritual Role and Arbitration: In traditional society, Awalé games between elders and chiefs sometimes served to peacefully defuse conflicts, to make crucial community decisions, or to test the wit of a suitor for a political role. The circular movement of the seeds is also linked to agrarian (sowing and harvesting) or cosmological (the cycle of time) symbolism.
In summary
This 86 cm Awalé is a magnificent Dan-mastered piece. Its clean monoxyle structure, supported by four rigid feet and its generous terminal cups, make it as much a tool of high social strategy as a symbol of power and community prestige.
Packages are shipped Monday through Saturday with insurance and tracking number.
Delivery in France within 1 to 3 days via Chronopost, 2 to 5 days across the European Union.
Delivery to the rest of Europe and worldwide via Colissimo International.
We speak English
Mask african art African mask art arte de máscaras africanas art of African masks
statue african art African statue art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane African mask art
Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano
Seller's Story
Passionate about World Arts and more specifically about African Art, we buy from collectors, former officials, military, health workers, public works staff who have worked in Africa and also in Côte d'Ivoire, from antique dealers and traders who roam across West Africa to find quality objects.
It is with pride that we present works that, beyond their power to beautify spaces, invite our collectors to resonate with the richness and depth of human expression through the most authentic art.
At Arts Ethniques Gallery, we have the privilege of offering our visitors an exclusive selection of artworks, all unique and original. Each piece presented is the outcome of a demanding artistic approach, driven by a singular vision and mastered craftsmanship, all elements that guarantee authenticity and value.
The works we offer are not industrial reproductions. They are individual creations, crafted with sensitivity and precision, each bearing its own story, identity and presence. Originality is the very foundation of our commitment to excellence. Thus, every mask and every statue in our collection is the subject of a rigorous selection, in order to preserve their rarity and singularity.
Acquiring a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery means owning a truly unique piece: a creation that embodies both talent, cultural memory and the expressive force of African art. It is also a lasting investment in a work whose artistic and emotional value transcends time.
We guarantee that every work leaving our gallery is an authentic piece, without replicas, bearing witness to the creativity, heritage and passion of the African artists who shaped them.
We invite you to participate in our gallery’s auctions with confidence. Each presented work is an original, unique and irreplaceable creation, selected with the greatest rigor to guarantee its authenticity and artistic value.
Whether you wish to enrich a personal collection or introduce an exceptional artwork into your space, Arts Ethniques Gallery offers a safe, transparent and professional setting to acquire remarkable pieces.
Art auctions are a privileged moment to discover rare works, capable of becoming the heart of a collection. Acquiring a work at our sales is not just buying an object: it is investing in a creation whose aesthetic value and cultural reach reinforce over time.
The pieces presented by Arts Ethniques Gallery testify not only to the talent and vision of the artists but also possess the ability to transform spaces and enrich the gaze of those who behold them.
Participating in our auctions is taking part in a singular experience, where the passion for art meets the rigors of collecting. Bidding on a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery goes beyond a simple transaction: it is a gesture of commitment and appreciation for art in its most authentic form.
We invite you to bid with passion and to join us in this adventure dedicated to discovery, transmission and celebration of art.
Perhaps your next heart piece is already waiting for you."
Translated by Google TranslateIvory Coast
Dan
Wood
Height: 145 mm
Width: 170 mm
Length: 860 mm
This Awalé game board, belonging to the great family of mancala games, measures 86 cm in length. This particularly important dimension makes it a prestige object of West Africa, originating from Ivory Coast and carved within the Dan ethnicity (also called Yacouba).
Object analysis allows us to detail its structure and understand its traditional functions.
1. Stylistic Characteristics and Morphology
This board, carved from a single block of dense wood (monoxyle), testifies to the Dan sculptors’ excellence in utilitarian prestige objects:
• The Playing Space: The board features the classic 12-holes configuration (two rows of six holes), typical of the Awalé variant. The central edge that separates the two rows is adorned with small geometric relief motifs, in the shape of elongated diamonds evoking stylized shells or traditional scarifications.
• The Lateral Receptacles: At each end, connected by a curved section acting as a handle, are two large deep hemispherical cups. They serve as reserves to store the seeds captured during the game.
• The Base: The underside of the board is characterized by four massive, square-shaped corner feet carved from the mass. This low, sturdy footing provides a perfect sitting surface when the game is placed directly on the ground or on a mat, protecting the body of the game from humidity. One can also discern fine traces of ironworking and a patina of rugged use.
2. Functional Use and Social Status among the Dan
Beyond its ludic-educational aspect, an Awalé of this size holds major social, political, and symbolic importance:
• A Game of Strategy and Calculation: Awalé is a pure strategy game (no luck) based on the distribution and capture of seeds (often seeds from the Caesalpinia bonduc tree). The aim is to “feed” your side and capture the opponent’s marbles. It is a traditional tool for teaching quick calculation and sociability.
• A Prestige Object for Notables: With its 86 cm length, this board far surpasses the size of common portable models. It is an object of dignitary status, meant to crown the court of a family head, a notable, or beneath the palm-house. Displaying such a board asserted the social rank, prosperity, and power of its owner within the Dan community.
• Ritual Role and Arbitration: In traditional society, Awalé games between elders and chiefs sometimes served to peacefully defuse conflicts, to make crucial community decisions, or to test the wit of a suitor for a political role. The circular movement of the seeds is also linked to agrarian (sowing and harvesting) or cosmological (the cycle of time) symbolism.
In summary
This 86 cm Awalé is a magnificent Dan-mastered piece. Its clean monoxyle structure, supported by four rigid feet and its generous terminal cups, make it as much a tool of high social strategy as a symbol of power and community prestige.
Packages are shipped Monday through Saturday with insurance and tracking number.
Delivery in France within 1 to 3 days via Chronopost, 2 to 5 days across the European Union.
Delivery to the rest of Europe and worldwide via Colissimo International.
We speak English
Mask african art African mask art arte de máscaras africanas art of African masks
statue african art African statue art Arte de estatuas africanas arte delle statue africane African mask art
Máscara de estatua de galería de arte africano
Seller's Story
Passionate about World Arts and more specifically about African Art, we buy from collectors, former officials, military, health workers, public works staff who have worked in Africa and also in Côte d'Ivoire, from antique dealers and traders who roam across West Africa to find quality objects.
It is with pride that we present works that, beyond their power to beautify spaces, invite our collectors to resonate with the richness and depth of human expression through the most authentic art.
At Arts Ethniques Gallery, we have the privilege of offering our visitors an exclusive selection of artworks, all unique and original. Each piece presented is the outcome of a demanding artistic approach, driven by a singular vision and mastered craftsmanship, all elements that guarantee authenticity and value.
The works we offer are not industrial reproductions. They are individual creations, crafted with sensitivity and precision, each bearing its own story, identity and presence. Originality is the very foundation of our commitment to excellence. Thus, every mask and every statue in our collection is the subject of a rigorous selection, in order to preserve their rarity and singularity.
Acquiring a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery means owning a truly unique piece: a creation that embodies both talent, cultural memory and the expressive force of African art. It is also a lasting investment in a work whose artistic and emotional value transcends time.
We guarantee that every work leaving our gallery is an authentic piece, without replicas, bearing witness to the creativity, heritage and passion of the African artists who shaped them.
We invite you to participate in our gallery’s auctions with confidence. Each presented work is an original, unique and irreplaceable creation, selected with the greatest rigor to guarantee its authenticity and artistic value.
Whether you wish to enrich a personal collection or introduce an exceptional artwork into your space, Arts Ethniques Gallery offers a safe, transparent and professional setting to acquire remarkable pieces.
Art auctions are a privileged moment to discover rare works, capable of becoming the heart of a collection. Acquiring a work at our sales is not just buying an object: it is investing in a creation whose aesthetic value and cultural reach reinforce over time.
The pieces presented by Arts Ethniques Gallery testify not only to the talent and vision of the artists but also possess the ability to transform spaces and enrich the gaze of those who behold them.
Participating in our auctions is taking part in a singular experience, where the passion for art meets the rigors of collecting. Bidding on a work from Arts Ethniques Gallery goes beyond a simple transaction: it is a gesture of commitment and appreciation for art in its most authentic form.
We invite you to bid with passion and to join us in this adventure dedicated to discovery, transmission and celebration of art.
Perhaps your next heart piece is already waiting for you."
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Ethnic group/ culture
Dan
Country of Origin
Côte d'Ivoire
Material
Wood
Sold with stand
No
Condition
Good condition
Title of artwork
Strategy game 'Awalé'
Sold by
