Oswald Boateng’s Mancala board for Poltrona Frau is part of a collaboration launched in 2023: dubbed ‘Culture and Craft’, the collection is defined by the Savile Row designer’s interpretations of the Italian furniture company’s classics.
The collection includes quintessential Poltrona Frau icons such as the ‘Chester’ sofa, a 1912 design conceived by the company's founder and inspired by Edwardian Chesterfields, and the ‘Vanity Fair’ chair, from 1984, which feature a distinctive
embossing of his signature ‘Tribal’ print on Frau leather. A pattern referencing traditional Kente Cloth Motifs, it becomes both a subtle decoration and a powerful aesthetic exercise once placed on the designs.
But the collaboration expands beyond furniture and into Poltrona Frau's ‘Beautilities’ collection: featuring pet accessories, stationery, ceramic and glass objects as well as toys by a variety of creatives and craftspeople, the series expands Poltrona Frau’s offering into a sphere of wellbeing and culture. For this, Boateng designed rugs, wallpaper, cushions, scented candles and a Mancala board game, reflecting the spirit of the designer's approach to creation.
One of the oldest board games in history, Mancala derives its name from the Arabic word ‘Naqala’, meaning, ‘to move’. Boateng interpreted the traditional board and pieces (always 48 in the game, a number sacred across West African populations) in solid wenge and handcrafted Murano glass. ‘For me, this partnership is really about tradition,’ says Boateng, who for this collection also revisited his distinctive Tribal print as an embossed motif on brightly hued leather. The design is part of Boateng's mission to 'find a new language around tradition, the same way I did in Savile Row. There’s a subtlety to getting the balance of the two worlds right.’ We think he’s nailed it.
poltronafrau.com
ozwaldboateng.co.uk
A version of this article appears in the February 2024 issue of Wallpaper* – dedicated to the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024 – available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
