Gaming board "ma kpon" · Côte d'Ivoire, Dan · ID: 3052095
Starting price
EUR 450
Estimated price
EUR 900
Provenance
Werner & Lotte Krause, Hamburg, Germany (Amsterdam, 1978)Size
L: 43 cm
65 cm (with head)
L: 16.9 inch
25.6 inch (with head)
Description
wood, kaolin, waxed or oiled surface, collection label “64”
The most valuable specimens are crowned by a carved ram’s head or, as here, a human head. The sides are decorated with incised animal motifs, in this case crocodiles and fish.
The African board game, which is called “ma kpon” by the Dan, is played across the continent, where it is known by various names. Versions of the game date back to the 7th century, and there is evidence that it already existed in ancient Egypt.