Armenian Backgammon Set - Woven Ornament

Armenian Backgammon Set - Woven Ornament

Armenians were weaving long before they were carving, and the carvers never quite forgot it. At the centre of this handmade Armenian backgammon set is an ornament that behaves exactly like cloth: strands cross over and under one another in deep relief, each one passing where it should, the whole thing holding together as if it had been threaded rather than cut. Scrollwork opens out around it and runs to the carved border of the lid.

It is worth putting your finger on it, because that is what everyone does. The strands are only a few millimetres apart, and every crossing had to be cut clean or the illusion falls apart at a glance — this is the part of a hand-carved wooden backgammon board where a carver either has the patience or does not. Then you open the clasps, the bronze hinges swing back, and inside is a full 23.6" / 60 cm playing field where two sets of checkers spend the whole evening threading past each other. The board was warning you about that from the start.

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

• A woven, interlaced ornament cut by hand in deep relief — one of the oldest patterns in Armenian carving
• Scrollwork carried out to the carved border on every side
• Folds shut on bronze hinges and travels by its own cut-out carry handle
• A handmade Armenian backgammon board that looks finished from every angle

A Gift That Keeps Being Looked At

This is the board people pick up without asking. Give it to someone whose house is full of things chosen carefully, and it will sit out between games rather than going into a cupboard — which is exactly what it was carved for.