Woven Wheel and Palmettes Armenian Backgammon Set with Carry Handle

Woven Wheel and Palmettes Armenian Backgammon Set with Carry Handle — Handmade in Armenia

Under a cut-out carry handle, the lid of this carved Armenian backgammon set holds a woven wheel — bands passing over and under each other round a small hub — with a scrolled palmette in an oval panel on each side and a plaited band along the wavy edge, all in dark-stained beech. 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ open, 30 × 60 cm folded, handmade in Armenia.

The other outer face of the wooden backgammon board is different: a chequered panel of pale and dark squares set between the same two palmette panels. The handle cut-out carries a rope-carved bar and runs through both halves.

Open the clasps and the field shows pale points let into the dark ground, each with a small arrow tip, a pale interlaced star roundel in each half, rails scalloped along their length and a long dice recess in every corner. Thirty-two wooden checkers and a pair of dice are included.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, dark stained, brass hinges and clasps
• Carving: woven wheel between two scrolled palmettes in oval panels on the lid, plaited border; chequered panel between the same palmettes on the other face
• Checkers: 32 wooden checkers, dark and pale; dice
• Carry handle: cut-out grip with a rope-carved bar through the top edge of both halves
• Inside: pale inlaid points with arrow tips and an interlaced star roundel in each half; scalloped rails, corner dice recesses
• Hardware: brass hinges and two side clasps
• Craftsmanship: handmade in Armenia

What's Included

• Folding beech backgammon board with carry handle
• 32 wooden checkers, dark and pale
• Dice

Why You'll Love It

• One wheel, two palmettes: a balanced lid that reads clearly from across the room.
• Dark stain, deep cuts: the stain pools in the stippled ground and the bands stand out.
• Carried, not lugged: the rope-carved handle runs through both halves, so the board goes where the game is.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is there carving on both faces? The wheel and palmettes are on the lid; the other face has the palmettes with a chequered inlay between them instead of the wheel. Both are cut in relief over a stippled ground, and the points and stars inside are pale wood set into the dark beech.

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? Dust the carving with a soft brush and wipe the flat surfaces with a dry cloth. Keep the board out of direct sun and store it closed with the checkers inside.

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