Luxury Twelve-Sided Armenian Chess Set with Coat of Arms

Luxury Twelve-Sided Armenian Chess Set with Coat of Arms

Twelve sides, not four. The corners of this board are cut away at angles so the whole silhouette changes, and the wide borders left behind are carved in a fine lattice with the coat of arms of Armenia inlaid at each end. It is the kind of Armenian chess set that gets picked up and turned round before anyone thinks about playing on it — and once you have seen the shape, an ordinary square board looks like it gave up early.

The army is all wood: 32 pieces turned in walnut and oak, dark against pale, so the two sides read instantly without anything shiny competing with the carving. The playing field runs a full 23.6" / 60 cm and the whole handmade chess set folds to half that width with the pieces packed inside. Big enough to host a proper game, sensible enough to put away afterwards.

What's Included

• Twelve-sided folding chess board with brass fittings
• 32 turned chess pieces in walnut and oak wood
• Carrying bag

Specifications

• Open board: 23.6 x 23.6" / 60 x 60 cm
• Folded: 23.6 x 11.8" / 60 x 30 cm
• Weight: 5 kg / 11 lb
• Material: solid beech, walnut and oak wood
• Handmade in Armenia

Why You'll Love It

• A twelve-sided board — the shape is the whole design
• The Armenian coat of arms inlaid at both ends of the field
• Fine lattice carving across the full width of the borders
• Walnut and oak pieces, two real woods rather than one stained two ways

The Coat of Arms

An eagle and a lion hold up a shield with Mount Ararat and Noah's Ark on it, quartered with the marks of four ancient Armenian dynasties. Underneath sit a sword, a broken chain, a sheaf of wheat and a feather. It is a lot of meaning for one small inlay, and every Armenian who sees it reads the whole thing without stopping to think.

A Gift Worth Giving

For a family that plays and a family that remembers where it comes from — both at once, on the same table. This is a gift that stays in a house for a long time.