Game Board, ca. 20th century
Unknown maker, Gan, Laamu Atoll, Maldives
Wood and metal, 2 3/4 × 33 3/8 × 6 1/2 in. (7 × 86 × 16.5 cm)
Repaired, date(s) unknown
Collection of Alex de Voogt

This board for the game of ohvalhu was made out of an eroded piece of driftwood on the island of Gan in the Maldives. The patinas on game boards are desirable as they produce an aesthetically pleasing shine; their playing cups become shaped to the players’ hands. However, the boards are typically discarded once the playing holes are worn through, for they no longer serve their purpose. This board, which had been used extensively, was left with a board game researcher after its players considered it unusable owing to the presence of metal repairs.

Natural erosion, carving, use, and repair breathe life into this board even after its use as a playing board had ceased.