Armenian Backgammon Set - Hovhannavank Monastery

Armenian Backgammon Set - Hovhannavank Monastery

Hovhannavank 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.

Thirteenth-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.

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
• Handmade in Armenia

Why It Stands Out

• The 13th-century Hovhannavank monastery carved by hand in fine relief
• Scrolling vines and a braided border cut right around the lid
• Folds shut on bronze hinges and travels by its own cut-out carry handle
• A handmade Armenian backgammon board carrying one of the country's boldest buildings

A Gift With Nerve

For 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.