Coat of Arms of Georgia Backgammon Set with Horseman and Church

Coat of Arms of Georgia Backgammon Set with Horseman and Church — Handmade in Armenia

Two lions hold the crowned shield of Georgia inside a beaded roundel on this carved Georgian backgammon set, the word Georgia is cut in tall scrolled letters across the top, and a rider on a pedestal raises his arm beside a domed church behind a stone wall, with a cut-out carry handle through the top edge. 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ open, 30 × 60 cm folded, handmade in Armenia.

The lettering, the lions and the horseman are the deepest relief on the wooden backgammon board; the church's brickwork and the wall are cut block by block beneath them. On the other outer face a chequered panel of pale and dark squares sits between two panels of leaf scrollwork.

Inside, the outline of Georgia is inlaid in pale wood in each half — one for each player — above pale inlaid points with arrow tips, with rope-carved handle bars at the sides and a dice recess in every corner. Thirty-two wooden checkers and a pair of dice come with the board.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, dark stained with pale wood inlays, brass hinges and clasps
• Carving: coat of arms of Georgia in a beaded roundel, the word Georgia in scrolled letters, a horseman statue and a domed church behind a stone wall; chequered panel between leaf scrolls 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 inlaid map of Georgia in each half; 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

• It names itself: Georgia in carved letters, the arms beside it — no caption needed.
• A Tbilisi view: a horseman on his pedestal and a domed church over a stone wall.
• Georgia inside too: the country's outline inlaid in pale wood on each half of the board.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is that Saint George on the horse? No — the rider is a statue on a pedestal with his arm raised, not a saint with a lance; he stands beside a domed church and a stone wall, the kind of view you get in old Tbilisi. The arms, letters and scene are relief over a stippled ground; the maps and points 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? Brush the carving with a soft dry 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.