Luxury Hayastan Armenian Backgammon Set with Ararat and Khor Virap

Luxury Hayastan Armenian Backgammon Set with Ararat and Khor Virap — Handmade in Armenia

Ararat's two peaks rise behind the walled monastery of Khor Virap on the lid of this luxury Armenian backgammon set, cracked earth running down to a band of ornamental Armenian lettering that spells HAYASTAN, with a crested bird perched at the end of the word — all carved in relief on a shaped 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ board, handmade in Armenia.

This is the wooden backgammon set with a whole landscape on it: the monastery's walls are cut stone by stone, the ground is carved in ridges that read as dry earth, the letters stand off a stippled ground with scrolls curling from their tails, and a dotted band follows the shaped outline. The far face carries two carved birds with fanned tails either side of a lattice-bordered panel.

Inside, the pale wood is plain and figured: points scored as narrow triangles, a many-petalled flower drawn at the centre of each half, a row of roundels along each end and a trough beneath them for the checkers and dice.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, oiled finish, with the grain showing inside
• Carving: Mount Ararat, the Khor Virap monastery and its walls, cracked earth, HAYASTAN in scrolled Armenian letters and a crested bird on one face; two birds either side of a lattice-bordered panel on the other; dotted band on a shaped outline; scored points, a flower in each half and roundels inside
• Checkers: 32 wooden checkers, pale and dark; pair of dice
• Hardware: brass hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: handmade in Armenia

What's Included

• Folding carved beech backgammon board with a shaped outline
• 32 wooden checkers and a pair of dice
• Carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• The name of the country in relief: HAYASTAN carved in ornamental letters under the mountain.
• A place, not a symbol: Khor Virap's walls and church, stone by stone, with Ararat behind.
• Birds on the back: two crested birds with fanned tails on the far face.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the carving real? It is — the mountain, the walls, every letter and both birds are relief left standing when the beech round them was cut back and stippled, and the field inside is scored into the wood rather than printed on it. No pressing, no applied parts.

What about shipping and returns? Shipping is free worldwide and tracked. Every set is covered by our 30-day returns policy.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators. Dust the carving with a soft brush, wipe the flat wood with a dry cloth and store it closed.

Also known as nardi (нарды), nardy, tavla or shesh besh.