{"product_id":"hovhannavank-monastery-carved-backgammon-board","title":"Armenian Backgammon Set - Hovhannavank Monastery","description":"\u003ch2\u003eArmenian Backgammon Set - Hovhannavank Monastery\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHovhannavank is built right at the edge. The monastery stands on the lip of the Kasagh gorge, where the ground simply stops and drops away, and the medieval masons put it there on purpose — as close to the edge as stone would allow. On this handmade Armenian backgammon set it is carved in fine relief at the centre of the lid, framed by scrolling vines and a braided border that runs the full circuit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThirteenth-century builders had no business being that confident, and they were anyway. Open the clasps, let the bronze hinges swing back, and the full 23.6\" \/ 60 cm playing field arrives — where confidence is also the whole game, and where the player who commits to the risky point usually beats the one who does not. Carry this hand-carved wooden backgammon board in by its cut-out handle, put it down between two chairs, and let the monastery preside over some considerably smaller gambles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's Included\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBackgammon board with bronze hinges, clasps and a cut-out carry handle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e32 checkers made from beech and walnut wood\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA pair of dice and a carrying bag\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFolded: 30 x 60 cm \/ 11.8 x 23.6\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpen playing field: 60 x 60 cm \/ 23.6 x 23.6\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 5 kg \/ 11 lb\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWood: solid beech, with bronze hinges and clasps\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandmade in Armenia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy It Stands Out\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 13th-century Hovhannavank monastery carved by hand in fine relief\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScrolling vines and a braided border cut right around the lid\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFolds shut on bronze hinges and travels by its own cut-out carry handle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA handmade Armenian backgammon board carrying one of the country's boldest buildings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA Gift With Nerve\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the player who doubles when they are behind, and for anyone who has stood at that gorge edge and understood why the masons chose it. Both will recognise something familiar on the lid.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CanarianCanary","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53098190373184,"sku":"102537","price":249.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0984\/5551\/9552\/files\/1776160476095.jpg?v=1788438454","url":"https:\/\/canariancanary.com\/products\/hovhannavank-monastery-carved-backgammon-board","provider":"CanarianCanary","version":"1.0","type":"link"}