Georgian Backgammon Set - Flag and Map of Georgia

Georgian Backgammon Set - Flag and Map of Georgia

A flag tells you who; a map tells you where. This handmade Georgian backgammon set carries both, carved side by side on the lid — the five-cross flag cut in clean relief, and next to it the outline of the country with its name lettered in Georgian script, those round unmistakable letters that belong to no other alphabet on earth. Carved scrollwork runs between the two and out to the border of the board.

That script is the detail people linger on. Georgian is one of the very few writing systems that is nobody else's, and seeing it cut into wood by hand has a particular effect on anyone who grew up reading it. Open the clasps, let the bronze hinges swing back, and the full 23.6" / 60 cm playing field is underneath, ready for the long version of the evening. Carry this hand-carved wooden backgammon board in by its cut-out handle and put it down; the introductions have already been made by the lid.

What's Included

• Backgammon board with bronze hinges, clasps and a cut-out carry handle
• 32 checkers made from beech and walnut wood
• A pair of dice and a carrying bag

Specifications

• Folded: 30 x 60 cm / 11.8 x 23.6"
• Open playing field: 60 x 60 cm / 23.6 x 23.6"
• Weight: 5 kg / 11 lb
• Wood: solid beech, with bronze hinges and clasps
• Entirely handmade

Why It Stands Out

• The five-cross flag and the map of Georgia, both carved by hand in relief
• The country's name cut in Georgian script beside the map
• Folds shut on bronze hinges and travels by its own cut-out carry handle
• A handmade Georgian backgammon board that names itself twice over

A Gift For Someone Far From Home

Georgians abroad tend to keep one thing out where visitors can see it. This board does that job and then does a second one, because sooner or later somebody asks what the letters say, and that conversation has never once been short.