Mount Ararat Chess and Backgammon Set with Knotwork Frame

Mount Ararat Chess and Backgammon Set with Knotwork Frame — Handmade in Armenia

Bands of interlaced knotwork are carved down both sides of this chess and backgammon set, and Mount Ararat rises in pale relief above the carry handle cut through each end. 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″ open, handmade in Armenia from beech and stained dark, with pieces, checkers, dice and a bag.

This is the wooden chess set with the frame that looks woven from ribbon. The knotwork loops over and under itself in relief along each side, with a leaf worked into the pattern here and there, and turns the corners without a break. The peaks sit just above each handle with their snow in the pale wood and small branches beside them, the coordinates are carved beside the inlaid squares, and the outline waves in scallops.

Inside is the backgammon field, with Ararat again — inlaid in pale wood in each half, a line of cloud above — between pale points and a checker trough along each side. The handles show as lifting slots in the side rails, so the open board moves as easily as the closed one.

Specifications

• Size: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Material: beech wood, dark-stained, with inlaid pale and brown squares
• Carving: interlaced knotwork with leaves down both sides, Mount Ararat in pale relief above the handle at each end, waved edge, carved coordinates; inlaid points and Ararat in pale wood in each half inside
• Pieces: 32 turned wooden chess pieces in pale beech and dark walnut; 32 wooden backgammon checkers; pair of dice
• Folded: 25 × 50 cm / 9.8″ × 19.6″
• Carry handle: cut through each end, with lifting slots in the side rails inside
• Hardware: bronze hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: handmade in Armenia

What's Included

• Folding carved beech board — chess outside, backgammon inside
• 32 turned wooden chess pieces, 16 pale and 16 dark
• 32 wooden backgammon checkers and a pair of dice
• Carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• Knotwork, not a border: the interlace runs the full length of both sides in relief, corners included.
• Ararat twice over: above each handle outside, inlaid in pale wood in both halves of the backgammon field.
• Carry it shut or open: handles through the frame outside, lifting slots in the rails inside.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the carving real? Yes. The knotwork and the leaves are carved into the dark-stained beech in relief, the mountains are cut with their snow in the pale wood, the handles are cut through the frame, and the squares and the points inside are inlaid. Nothing is printed.

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? Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators. Wipe with a dry, soft cloth and store it closed.

Also known as nardi (нарды), nardy, tavla or shesh besh.