Luxury Acanthus Backgammon Set with Silver Wire Inlay and Handles

Luxury Acanthus Backgammon Set with Silver Wire Inlay and Handles — Handmade in Armenia

Fine silver-coloured wire is set into the walnut on this luxury backgammon set — a scrolled ornament inside a lobed cartouche on each face, a sun-wheel and the outline of every point inside — while broad acanthus scrolls carved on a stippled ground fill the rest of the lid. A cut-out carry handle sits in each half. 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ open, handmade in Armenia.

This is the wooden backgammon set that mixes two crafts. The scrolls are cut thick and rounded so they stand well off the stippled ground, a rope moulding follows the shaped outline, and the smooth cartouche in the middle is left flat for the wire, which sits flush in the surface and catches the light as a thin bright line. Both outer faces are carved alike, and brass clasps hold it shut.

Inside, the walnut is dark and figured, and the wire does the drawing: each point is an outline with a scroll at its tip, a wire sun-wheel sits at the centre of each half, and the rails carry a cut-out handle on each side with long troughs for the checkers.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: walnut wood, oiled finish, with silver-coloured wire inlay on the faces and inside
• Carving: acanthus scrolls on a stippled ground round a lobed cartouche, rope moulding, shaped outline, the same on both faces; wire-inlaid ornament in the cartouche, wire-drawn points and a wire sun-wheel in each half inside
• Checkers: 32 wooden checkers, pale and dark; pair of dice
• Handles: cut-out carry handle in each half
• Hardware: brass hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: handmade in Armenia

What's Included

• Folding carved walnut backgammon board with two cut-out carry handles
• 32 wooden checkers and a pair of dice
• Carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• Wire in the wood: a bright scrolled ornament in the cartouche, wire points and sun-wheels inside.
• Scrolls with body: thick acanthus leaves carved clear of a stippled ground on both faces.
• Carried, not cradled: a cut-out handle in each half, brass clasps to keep it shut.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the carving real? It is — the acanthus and the rope moulding are relief left standing when the walnut round them was cut back and stippled, on both faces, and the ornament, points and sun-wheels are lengths of wire let into the wood rather than paint or print. No pressing, no applied carving.

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 and the wire with a dry cloth and store it closed.

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