Georgian Backgammon Set - Sameba and Grapevines

Georgian Backgammon Set - Sameba and Grapevines

One of the things on this lid is enormous and modern. The other has been here for eight thousand years. Sameba — the Holy Trinity Cathedral — rises in pale carved relief at the centre of this handmade Georgian backgammon set, tier on tier up to its tall spire, and wound all around it are grapevines heavy with fruit, cut by the same hand. The cathedral is the newest great thing Tbilisi built. The vine was there long before anyone thought of building anything.

Putting them together says something a photograph of either one would miss. Open the clasps, let the bronze hinges swing back, and the full 23.6" / 60 cm playing field is where the older tradition wins outright — nardi has been played under Georgian vines for a very long time, and it is not about to stop. Carry this hand-carved wooden backgammon board in by its cut-out handle and set it down; the skyline can wait, the game cannot.

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 Sameba Cathedral of Tbilisi carved in pale relief, tier by tier
• A full wreath of hand-carved grapevines and clusters around it
• Folds shut on bronze hinges and travels by its own cut-out carry handle
• A handmade Georgian backgammon board holding the country's newest landmark and its oldest crop

A Gift For a Tbilisi Household

For the family whose windows look toward that hill, or the friend who photographed it from every bridge in the city. Give it, open it, and let the vines have the last word.