Luxury Mesrop Mashtots Armenian Backgammon Set in Walnut

Luxury Mesrop Mashtots Armenian Backgammon Set in Walnut — Handmade in Armenia

Mesrop Mashtots sits with a book in his lap on the lid of this luxury Armenian backgammon set, a scroll of the letters he made unrolled on the brick wall behind him — carved in relief inside an oval ringed with chevrons, a fluted sun disc at each end of the 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ walnut board, handmade in Armenia.

This is the wooden backgammon set with a scholar on it. The figure is cut deep enough for the folds of his robe and the fingers on the page to read from across a table, the alphabet on the scroll is carved letter by letter in the old script, the bricks behind him are scored one by one, and the ground outside the oval is stippled so the two sun discs stand up crisp in it. A plain moulded frame holds the lid.

Nothing competes with the game once the clasps are open: bare walnut with its figure showing, a flower head drawn in the middle of each half, looped arrow outlines for the points, arched scallops at the ends and a trough under them where the checkers and dice ride when the board is shut.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: walnut wood, oiled finish, with the figure of the grain showing inside
• Carving: Mesrop Mashtots seated with a book, a scroll of the Armenian alphabet, brick wall, doorway and lamp in a chevron-ringed oval, fluted sun discs on a stippled ground; looped-outline points, a flower in each half and arched scallops inside
• Checkers: 32 wooden checkers, pale and dark; pair of dice
• Hardware: brass hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: handmade in Armenia

What's Included

• Folding carved walnut backgammon board
• 32 wooden checkers and a pair of dice
• Carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• The man and the letters: the scholar seated with his book, his alphabet on the scroll behind him.
• Depth where it counts: robe folds, fingers and each letter cut clear of the ground.
• Walnut inside: figured wood, looped points and a flower in each half.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the carving real? It is — the figure, the scroll and its letters, the bricks and the sun discs are all relief left standing when the walnut round them was cut back and stippled, and the field inside is scored into the wood rather than printed on it. No pressing, no applied parts.

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. Dust the carving with a soft brush, wipe the flat wood with a dry cloth and store it closed.

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