IDNO

N.19440.ROS

Description

Two men from the Ankole region playing a game of mweso in front of a native-style house with a thatched roof. The player to the left wears a hat and a long-sleeved dark robe and the player to the right wears a kanzu (white tunic). In the background there are three people standing outside the house watching the game.

Physical Condition: Film is a yellow/brown colour.

Place

E Africa; Uganda; Ankole

Cultural Affliation

?Bahima

Named Person

Photographer

?Roscoe, John R.

Collector / Expedition

Roscoe, John R. [Mackie Ethnological Expedition, Uganda, 1919 - 1920]

Date

1919 - 1920

Collection Name

Roscoe Collection

Source

Format

Film Negative Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

This negative was kept in an envelope marked C31/65/ by the cataloguer. The envelope was kept in box marked C31/ by the cataloguer.
Previously stored on Shelf 4, in group of 4 wooden boxes numbered 180.

Game Mweso: "The game is called mweso after the wooden board on which it is played. The board has four rows of eight holes each, two rows for each player. Each player has thirty-two pieces as counters, consisting of wild banana seeds (mpiki), which are distributed evenly in the back rows, four pieces to a hole, as a preliminary formality.
Object of the Game: "Theoretically, the object of the game is to capture all the opponent's pieces. But in practice this is almost impossible, and victory may also be achieved in either of the two following ways. If a player is left with not more than one piece in any of his holes; or if both holes at both ends of his two rows are all empty simultaneously, his opponent has won the game.” [Source: http://www.gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/Archives/Mancala%20Articles/Uganda/index.html]. [ED 24/10/2007]

Context: "The chief indoor game was the game of weso, which is so common throughout Africa; it is played on a board with holes in it cut in four rows; two persons sit on opposite sides of the board; they have a number of seeds, or small stones, which they play into the holes; quickness of sight and rapidity in addition ensure success.” (Roscoe, J., 1911. The Baganda: An Account of their Native Customs and Beliefs. (London: Macmillan and Co. Limited), p. 79). [ED 24/10/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Elisabeth Deane 24/10/2007]