Luxury Acanthus Chess and Backgammon Set with Bronze-Topped Pieces

Luxury Acanthus Chess and Backgammon Set with Bronze-Topped Pieces — Handmade in Armenia

Acanthus leaves scroll round all four sides of this luxury chess and backgammon set, curling past the carry handle cut through each end, and 32 turned pieces topped in cast bronze stand on the field. 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ open, handmade in Armenia from beech in a golden-brown stain, with checkers, dice and a bag.

This is the wooden chess set with a leaf border you can read from across the room. The acanthus is cut deep on a stippled ground, each frond rolling into the next and gathering into a larger scroll at either end, and the outline waves in scallops beneath it. The squares are inlaid pale and brown, the coordinates in brass discs beside them.

The pieces are turned in two woods, pale and dark, each with a cast bronze crown, finial, tower or horse head and a bronze collar at the base. Inside is the backgammon field: pale points tipped with a fleur-de-lis and an interlaced knot disc in each half, the handles showing as lifting slots in the end rails.

Specifications

• Size: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Material: beech wood in a golden-brown stain, with inlaid pale and brown squares and brass coordinate discs
• Carving: acanthus leaf scrolls along all four sides on a stippled ground, larger scrolls round the handle at each end, waved edge; inlaid points with fleur-de-lis tips and an interlaced knot disc in each half inside
• Pieces: 32 turned wooden chess pieces with cast bronze crowns, finials, horse heads and base collars, 16 pale and 16 dark; 32 wooden backgammon checkers; pair of dice
• Folded: 30 × 60 cm / 11.8″ × 23.6″
• 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 topped in cast bronze, 16 pale and 16 dark
• 32 wooden backgammon checkers and a pair of dice
• Carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• Leaves on every side: one continuous acanthus scroll round the whole frame, cut deep on a stippled ground.
• Metal where it matters: each turned piece crowned in cast bronze, with a bronze collar at the foot.
• Second game inside: a backgammon field with an interlaced knot disc in each half, checkers and dice in the bag.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the carving real? The leaves are real relief — carved into the beech with the ground stippled by hand, not pressed or printed — and the handles are cut through the frame. The squares and the points inside are inlaid wood, the coordinates sit in brass discs, and the crowns, finials and horse heads on the pieces are cast bronze on turned wooden bodies.

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.