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TRADITIONS & UTENSILS

 

 

 

  Kyway En

 

Myanmar

Kyway En is the Burmese name of a board game played with shells of the Money Cowry (fig.) on a cross-shaped game board (fig.) and reminiscent of the Indian game of Pachisi. In both games the cowry shells are used like dices.

 

The cowries are thrown in a cup and the way they fall, i.e. resting with the aperture upwards or downwards, will determine the number of spaces the pawns are allowed to move forward on the game board, of which a giant outdoor version can still be seen in Fathepur Sikri (fig.) today.

 

  Kyway En