AYO OLOPON GAME BOARD

Very rare lidded example of the Ayo Olopon board game, also know as Oware or Awele game. This gameboard is made up of the traditional playing surface of 12 holes with carved figurative Yoruba head on a long neck and the lid which is adorned with intricately carved faces depicting Esu, the messenger of Ifá. Perched on the lid are decorative birds, a symbol that occurs quite frequently in traditional Yoruba culture.

Ayo gameboards range from everyday objects with simple forms to intricately carved, ornate pieces that serve as a status symbol. Figurative carvings on Ayo gameboards are quite rare and show the creativity Africans put into functional objects.

Ayo Olopon or Awele is an ancient traditional board game of the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria distinguished by its standardized rules and processes. Considered as one of the oldest African board games, there are different variations across different countries in Africa. It is believed to be as old as the Ifa spiritual system. Ayo means seed, while opon refers to the holder or tray. The fusion; Ayo Opon means “seeds in the holder.” Opon, the holder on which it is played, is a tray-like structure consisting of twelve holes on two horizontal sides (six holes by the right and the left-hand sides of the players) and forty-eight Ayo seeds arranged in a group of four in each hole.

In structure and pattern, Ayo Olopon is similar to the Oware game that spread across America with the Atlantic slave trade, the Endodoi mancala game of the Massai in East Africa, and the Kalah of the United States.

 Players face each other with the game board placed in the middle. The anticlockwise movement of Ayo seeds across these holes yields different permutations for players to harvest the seeds in twos and threes from a maximum of five holes in one fell swoop. Upon the exhaustion of seeds on the holder, the player with the higher number of Ayo seeds emerges as the winner. If a player records three consecutive victories, he becomes a champion (Ota) while the loser is Ope (the knowledgeable). A situation where both players end up with the same number of seeds is called Omi (a draw).

Condition

Very good vintage condition. Wear in keeping with age. 1 of the 4 decorative birds on the lid is missing. Signs of repair to the base of another decorative bird. This board is offered with the pictured temporary mount