Georgian Coat of Arms and Basket-Weave Backgammon Set with Handle

Georgian Coat of Arms and Basket-Weave Backgammon Set with Handle — Handmade in Armenia

Saint George spears the dragon on the crowned shield of Georgia, held between two lions inside the beaded roundel of this carved Georgian backgammon set, with a deep basket-weave cut across the rest of the lid, a panel of scrolls with a bird, a sunflower and a pine cone at one end, and a cut-out carry handle through the top. 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ open, handmade in Armenia.

The weave is cut as interlocking strips with real depth, so the lid reads as a wicker panel in side light; the arms and the scrolls stand above it. On the other outer face of the wooden backgammon board a chequered panel, every square carved with a small pattern, sits between two panels of bird-and-scroll carving.

The arms come inside too, inlaid in light wood at the centre of each dark half so both players sit behind the same shield, with light points and arrow tips inlaid around them, rope-carved bars in the handle cut-outs and dice recesses at the corners. The set ships with thirty-two wooden checkers and two dice.

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: Georgian coat of arms with St George and the dragon in a beaded roundel, basket-weave ground, bird-and-scroll panel; patterned chequered panel between scroll panels 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 Georgian coat of arms 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

• The full arms: crown, lions, shield, St George and the dragon, ribbon — all in one roundel.
• A woven lid: basket-weave cut deep across the face instead of a flat lattice.
• Georgia inside: the arms inlaid in pale wood on each half of the board.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How deep is the relief? The lions and the crown stand highest, the weave strips a step lower and the stippled ground lowest — three levels you can feel with a fingertip. The arms and points inside are pale wood set into the dark beech, not carved.

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 weave and 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.