Luxury Ararat Valley Armenian Backgammon Set with Carved Landscape

Luxury Ararat Valley Armenian Backgammon Set with Carved Landscape — Handmade in Armenia

Both peaks of Ararat rise over a valley on the lid of this luxury Armenian backgammon set — poplars in the foreground, ploughed fields and a river below, clouds and birds above — a whole landscape carved in relief inside a lobed cartouche on a 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ board, handmade in Armenia.

This is the wooden backgammon set that gives you the view rather than the emblem: the slopes step back in layers, the trees stand clear of the ground, the field furrows run to the horizon, and everything outside the cartouche is stippled by hand inside a plain moulded frame. The far face carries a carved panel between two pinwheel bosses.

Open it and the field is the plain red-brown wood, points scored in fine lines with arrow tips and a flower drawn in each half, scalloped rails and a trough along each end for the checkers and dice. Brass clasps hold the two halves shut.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: oak wood in a red-brown finish, with the grain showing inside
• Carving: Mount Ararat over a valley of poplars, fields and a river in relief, clouds and birds, lobed cartouche on a stippled ground, moulded frame; line-work points and a flower in each half 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 backgammon board
• 32 wooden checkers and a pair of dice
• Carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• A landscape, not a logo: Ararat with its valley, trees and river, carved in layers you can feel.
• Framed like a picture: a lobed cartouche on a stippled ground inside a plain moulded edge.
• Made to play: line-work points and a flower per half inside, checkers and dice in the troughs.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the carving real? Yes. The mountain, trees, fields and clouds are cut in relief into the wood, the ground round the cartouche is stippled by hand, and the points and flowers inside are scored in line work. Nothing is printed or pressed.

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.