Elephant Head Backgammon Set with Handle

Elephant Head Backgammon Set with Handle — Handmade in Armenia

Ears spread and trunk hanging between the tusks, an elephant's head looks out of this carved backgammon set — skin folds cut as ridges, deep relief on a cross-hatched ground inside a rope-rimmed roundel, leaf scrolls either side, rope border, wavy-edged lid. A cut-out carry handle passes through each half. 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ open, handmade in Armenia.

Shut and flipped, the board shows its inlaid face: pale and dark squares set flush across the middle between two carved leaf-and-grape cartouches, the second grip cut through the top.

The open board in the photos carries arrow-tipped points, a sunburst flower in a scrolled ring in each half and a trough along each outer rail beside the grip, with pale and dark wooden checkers and two dice laid out on it; brass-toned hinges join the halves.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, medium brown stain with pale wood inlay in the chequered panel, brass-toned hinges
• Carving: an elephant's head face-on with spread ears, hanging trunk and tusks, in deep relief in a rope-rimmed roundel on a cross-hatched ground, leaf scrolls either side, a rope border and stippled corner triangles on a wavy-edged lid; leaf-and-grape cartouches flanking an inlaid chequered panel on the other face
• Checkers: 32 wooden checkers, pale and dark, grooved faces; two dice
• Carry handle: cut-out grip through the top edge of both halves
• Inside: incised arrow-tipped points and an incised sunburst flower in a scrolled ring in each half; checker trough along each outer rail
• Hardware: brass-toned hinges with an ornate one at the centre of the spine
• Craftsmanship: handmade in Armenia

What's Included

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

Why You'll Love It

• Head-on: the ears fan out to the rope rim and the trunk drops to the bottom of the roundel, so the whole circle is elephant.
• Volume in the wood: the forehead and ears stand well proud of the stippled ground — the deepest relief in the animal series.
• Carried by its edge: a grip is cut through each half, so the closed board lifts without a strap.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the whole elephant carved? No — the old copy described the animal standing; the carving is the head alone, face-on. Checkers and dice are as photographed; the bag in the old copy is not in the photos and is not listed here.

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? Brush the ears, the trunk and the cross-hatched ground with a soft dry brush and wipe the flat faces with a dry cloth. Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat; store it closed with the checkers inside.

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