Sapele Style Mancala Board Game – African Art, Ayo Olopon, Handmade, African Woodwork, Portable

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“Ayo Olopon” popularly known as the Mancala Board game is an ancient, interactive, self-contained traditional game played by the Yoruba people of Nigeria in West Africa. Handmade from solid wood, the board “opon” is the carrying case composed of two rows with six holes on each side of the board (12 total holes), connected by 2 hinges and played with 48 seeds.

The game requires strategy and critical thinking to move seeds around with the ultimate aim of winning more seeds than your opponent. Two individuals take turn to play this game, which runs anti-clockwise. At the beginning of the game, four (4) seeds are placed in each hole. Each player can only move seeds from their side of the board unless they are capturing their opponent’s seeds. Each turn, the player takes all seeds from any hole on their side of the board and sow them counterclockwise, one seed per hole. During each individual sowing, the starting hole is skipped. If the last seed of a player’s turn lands in a hole on the opponent’s side of the board and makes it the 2nd or 3rd seed in that hole, you capture and remove those seeds from your opponent’s side of the board. The player with the most captured seeds wins.

Ayo Olopon is a game for both young and old. Children in Africa as young as age 4 have played this game for centuries as a cultural heritage that has been passed down generations, while adults use it as a relaxing and socializing tool in the evening under tree shades after completing the day’s work. As children learn basic arithmetic this game is known to help improve their counting skill and train them to also think before making decisions.

Great addition to your game collection and a suitable as gift for your family and friends. Available in (2) sizes – Small and Medium. Each board come with the game instructions and 48 seeds. Made in Nigeria, West Africa.

****If you are interested in just the Mancala seeds only, we offer them in packs with each pack containing 12 seeds****

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Item Details

SIZES
➢ Size is shown as Length x Width x Height in inches.
➢ Small - 17 x 3.25 x 2 inches - 2 lbs.
➢ Medium - 18 x 3.75 x 3 inches - 3 lbs.

MATERIAL
➢ Wood

SHIPPING & PACKAGING
➢ Orders are shipped from Chicago, USA within 1-3 business days.
➢ Estimated shipping time 2-3 business days, depending on the location.
➢ You will receive a shipping confirmation with the tracking number once it ships.

RETURNS & REFUNDS
➢ All sales are final. We do not accept returns.
➢ Exchanges are accepted in the event that an item arrive damaged due to postal mishandling. Please provide proof of damage to request an exchange.
➢ Please read our shop policies under each product page.