Luxury Walnut Backgammon Set - Lion of Sassoun

Luxury Walnut Backgammon Set - Lion of Sassoun

There is no hero in this frame. Just the lion — master-carved into solid walnut, set inside an ornate cartouche of flowing scrollwork, mane cut lock by lock in relief deep enough to hold its own shadow. And that is the whole point of the story it belongs to. When the Armenian epic of Sassoun needed a name for its strongest son, it did not name him after a sword or a kingdom or a father. It named him after the animal he beat: Mher the Lion.

The epithet outlived the deed, which is what happens to the very best of them. A thousand years later Armenians still teach children the name, and most of them could not tell you the details of the fight — only that there was a man, and there was a lion, and afterwards there was one word for both. Carving that on a board means carving the lion alone and trusting people to know the rest. In walnut, the darkest and least forgiving wood in the workshop, the carver has done exactly that: no explanation, no inscription, just the face and the weight of it.

Then it opens. The clasps release, the bronze hinges swing back, and beneath all that legend is a full 23.6" / 60 cm playing field where the fights are considerably smaller and happen every evening. That is the pleasure of a luxury walnut backgammon board at this level — it can carry a national epic on the lid and still be the thing your family actually plays on. Lift it by the cut-out handle and bring it to the table.

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 walnut, with bronze hinges and clasps
• Handmade in Armenia

Why It Stands Out

• A master-carved lion in deep relief, mane cut lock by lock into solid walnut
• Set inside an ornate carved cartouche of flowing scrollwork
• Folds shut on bronze hinges and travels by its own cut-out carry handle
• A luxury Armenian backgammon board carrying one of the great names of the Sassoun epic

A Gift For Someone Named After Something

Every family has one member who got a nickname early and never lost it. This is their board — and the lion on the lid will make the case far better than anyone at the table could.