Basket Weave Chess and Backgammon Set with Ribbon Knot Corners

Basket Weave Chess and Backgammon Set with Ribbon Knot Corners — Handmade in Armenia

A woven panel sits in the middle of each side of this chess and backgammon set, a looped ribbon knot fills every corner, and leaf scrolls curl round the carry handle cut through each end. 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″ open, handmade in Armenia from dark-stained beech, with pieces, checkers, dice and a bag.

This is the wooden chess set with three textures in one frame. The woven panels are cut as strips passing over and under each other, the ribbon knots loop through themselves at the corners, and the leaf scrolls at each end stand up from a stippled ground; the outline waves in scallops all round. Brass discs let into the frame carry the coordinates beside the inlaid squares, and the 32 pieces are turned in pale wood and dark.

Inside is the backgammon field: pale points each tipped with a small fleur-de-lis, and a sun-wheel disc ringed with vine scrolls in the centre of each half. The handles come through the end rails as lifting slots, and the board folds to half its width on bronze hinges and clasps.

Specifications

• Size: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Material: beech wood, dark-stained, with inlaid pale and brown squares and brass coordinate discs
• Carving: woven panel in the middle of each side, looped ribbon knot in each corner, leaf scrolls round the handle at each end, stippled ground, waved edge; inlaid points with fleur-de-lis tips and a vine-ringed sun-wheel 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 end 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

• Three textures, one frame: woven panels on the sides, looped knots in the corners, leaf scrolls at the ends.
• A field under the lid: backgammon inside, with a vine-ringed sun-wheel in each half and a fleur-de-lis on every point.
• Lifts by either end: a handle cut through each end of the frame, showing inside as slots in the rails.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the carving real? Yes. The woven strips, the ribbon knots and the leaf scrolls are carved into the dark-stained beech in relief with the ground stippled by hand, the handles are cut through the frame, the coordinates are brass discs let into the wood, 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.