Mount Ararat Travel Chess and Backgammon Set with Lattice Sides — Handmade in Armenia
Handmade in Armenia from beech wood, this travel chess and backgammon set opens to 11.8 × 11.8 in (30 × 30 cm). Mount Ararat is carved above the cut-out handles, with lattice panels along the sides. The set includes 32 chess pieces, 32 checkers, dice and a carrying bag; a map of Armenia is carved inside the backgammon field.
This is the wooden chess set carved on every side. The twin peaks sit in a scrolled cartouche at the top and bottom, the handles are cut straight through the frame beneath them, the lattice runs in a band down each side, and the coordinates sit on small brass roundels beside the two-tone squares. The edge is shaped in soft scallops; folded, it measures 5.9 × 11.8 in (15 × 30 cm).
Open the bronze clasp and the inside is a backgammon field with pale points and the map of Armenia, province by province, in pale wood at the centre of each half — with a cut-out handle in each leaf too. The 32 chess pieces are turned in light and dark wood and pack in the bag with the checkers and dice.
Specifications
- Size open: 11.8 × 11.8 in (30 × 30 cm); folded: 5.9 × 11.8 in (15 × 30 cm)
- Material: beech wood, stained dark brown and varnished, with two-tone inlaid squares
- Carving: Mount Ararat in relief at each end, leaf-scroll corners, lattice side panels, dotted ground, scalloped outline, cut-out carry handles, map of Armenia and pale points inside
- 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
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Ararat at both ends: the peaks stand pale against the dark stain above each handle — you see them whichever way the board faces.
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The map inside: Armenia drawn province by province in each half of the backgammon field, a talking point every time it opens.
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Carry it by the board: a handle cut into the frame, a clasp to hold it shut, and a bag for everything else.
Good to Know Before You Buy
Is the mountain carved or printed? Carved. The peaks, the scrolls and the lattice are cut into the beech in relief, and the pale colour of Ararat and of the map inside is the bare wood showing through the dark stain. Nothing on this board 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 carving 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.
