Armenian Backgammon Set - Tatik and Papik of Artsakh

Armenian Backgammon Set - Tatik and Papik of Artsakh

Officially the monument is called "We Are Our Mountains." Nobody calls it that. Everybody calls it Tatik and Papik — grandmother and grandfather — because that is plainly who they are: two faces rising straight out of the rock, no bodies, no pedestal, as though the mountain itself grew a pair of elders and left them looking out over the valley. On this handmade Armenian backgammon set they are hand-carved in deep relief at the centre of the lid, with Արցախ lettered beside them and carved scrollwork running out to the border.

It is a good face to have watching a card table, a dinner table, or a board like this one. Every Armenian family has a tatik and a papik who taught somebody the rules, and every one of them cheated a little at nardi and denied it beautifully. Open the clasps, let the bronze hinges swing back, and the full 23.6" / 60 cm playing field is ready for the next round of exactly that. Carry this carved wooden backgammon board in by its cut-out handle and set it down; the elders have been keeping an eye on things for a long time.

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 hinges and clasps
• Handmade in Armenia

Why It Stands Out

• The "We Are Our Mountains" monument — Tatik and Papik — carved by hand in deep relief
• Artsakh lettered in Armenian script beside them, with scrollwork to the border
• Folds shut on bronze hinges and travels by its own cut-out carry handle
• A handmade Armenian backgammon board carrying one of the most loved images the country has

A Gift Held Close

For the family that keeps this image somewhere in the house already, and for the one abroad that wants their children to recognise the two faces. Give it, open it, teach somebody the game — that is how it was always passed down anyway.