Basket Weave Travel Chess and Backgammon Set with Carry Handle

Basket Weave Travel Chess and Backgammon Set with Carry Handle — Handmade in Armenia

Basket weave covers every part of this travel chess and backgammon set outside the squares — wide strips carved to pass over and under each other, right up to a carry handle cut through the frame. 30 × 30 cm / 11.8″ × 11.8″ open, handmade in Armenia from beech, with 32 chess pieces, 32 checkers, dice and a bag.

This is the wooden chess set people cannot stop touching. The weave stands well off the surface with dotted texture in the gaps, the coordinates sit on small brass roundels beside the two-tone squares, and the outline waves in soft scallops on every side. Folded it is 15 × 30 cm and shuts on bronze hinges with a clasp.

Inside, the backgammon field has pale points and a six-petal flower at the centre of each half, with a cut-out handle in each leaf as well. The 32 chess pieces are turned in light and dark wood and go in the bag with the checkers and dice — or the whole thing lifts by the handle.

Specifications

• Size: 30 × 30 cm / 11.8″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained dark brown and varnished, with two-tone inlaid squares
• Carving: basket weave over the whole border with dotted ground, scalloped outline, cut-out carry handle, six-petal flower in each half inside, pale backgammon points
• Pieces: 32 wooden chess pieces in light and dark wood, 32 wooden backgammon checkers, dice set
• Hardware: bronze hinges and clasp, brass coordinate roundels, carry handle cut into the frame
• Craftsmanship: handmade in Armenia

What's Included

• Folding board with carry handle — chess outside, backgammon inside
• 32 wooden chess pieces in light and dark wood
• 32 wooden backgammon checkers
• Dice set
• Carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• Carving you can feel: the weave stands off the surface — run a thumb across the frame and you feel every strip.
• Two games and a handle: chess on the lid, nardi inside, and a handle in the edge so it goes anywhere in one hand.
• Pocket size: 30 cm open, 15 cm folded — a real board that lives in a bag until it is wanted.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the weave carved or pressed? Carved. The strips are cut into the beech in relief, passing over and under each other, with the dotted ground worked between them; the handle is cut through the same piece of wood. Inside, the points and the flowers are pale wood left bare against the dark stain. Nothing is printed.

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 heat. Dust the weave with a soft brush, wipe the field with a dry cloth and keep the pieces, checkers and dice in the bag.

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