Armenian Backgammon Set - Coat of Arms in Bronze

Armenian Backgammon Set - Coat of Arms in Bronze

Look at what the carver did to the background first. The whole field of this handmade Armenian backgammon set has been cut into fine cross-hatching by hand — thousands of tiny strokes that catch no light at all. Then, at the centre, the national coat of arms of Armenia in bronze: the shield with its four dynastic quarters, Ararat and the Ark above them, the eagle and the lion holding it steady. Against all that carved matte wood, the metal is the only bright thing on the board.

Turn a lamp on in the evening and you will see exactly what was intended. The arms come forward and everything else steps back. It is a hand-carved wooden backgammon board that behaves like a piece of the room rather than a game box — and then you unhook the clasps, the bronze hinges swing open, and there is the full 23.6" / 60 cm playing field, checkers ready, waiting for the part where nobody looks at the lid for three hours. Carry it in by the cut-out handle; someone will ask about the shield before you have set out the first checker.

What's Included

• Backgammon board with bronze hinges, clasps and a cut-out carry handle
• 32 checkers made from beech and walnut wood
• A pair of dice and a carrying bag

Specifications

• Folded: 30 x 60 cm / 11.8 x 23.6"
• Open playing field: 60 x 60 cm / 23.6 x 23.6"
• Weight: 5 kg / 11 lb
• Wood: solid beech, with bronze details, hinges and clasps
• Handmade in Armenia

Why It Stands Out

• The coat of arms of Armenia in bronze, set against a hand-cut cross-hatched field
• Every stroke of that background carved by hand, not stamped or pressed
• Folds shut on bronze hinges and travels by its own cut-out carry handle
• A handmade Armenian backgammon board that reads as an emblem first and a game second

A Gift With the Whole Country On It

Somebody will start explaining the four quarters — the dynasties, the mountain, the Ark — and somebody else will say set it up already. Both reactions are correct, and both are the reason this board ends up on the table so often.