Luxury Armenian Walnut Chess Set with Pomegranate Harvest

Luxury Armenian Walnut Chess Set with Pomegranate Harvest

The carving on this one does not know when to stop, and that is exactly right. Pomegranates split open, grape clusters heavy on the vine, leaves curling between them — the whole border of this walnut chess board is a harvest, cut by hand into the wood. Above the carry handle, twin-peaked Mount Ararat rises out of the pattern. It is a carved chess set that tells you which country it came from without printing a word.

Inside it is a serious playing surface: 15.7" / 40 cm of maple and walnut inlay, 32 turned pieces, and the whole thing folds down to half that and lifts by the handle. Most boards this decorated are display pieces you feel guilty using. This is a handmade chess set built to be carried to the table, opened, played on, and closed again with the pieces inside.

What's Included

• Folding chess board with a built-in carry handle
• 32 turned chess pieces in beech and walnut wood
• Carrying bag

Specifications

• Open board: 15.7 x 15.7" / 40 x 40 cm
• Folded: 15.7 x 7.9" / 40 x 20 cm
• Weight: 3 kg / 6.6 lb
• Material: solid beech and walnut wood with maple inlay
• Built-in carry handle
• Handmade in Armenia

Why You'll Love It

• A full harvest carved by hand — pomegranates, grapes and vine leaves around the whole border
• Mount Ararat worked into the carving above the handle
• Maple and walnut inlaid playing squares, not printed or stained
• Folds and lifts by its own handle, so it actually leaves the house

Pomegranates and Grapes

The pomegranate is the Armenian symbol of abundance and family — hundreds of seeds behind one skin, all of them held together. The grape belongs to the oldest winery in the world, found in a cave in Areni and running for six thousand years without a break. Carving the two of them around a board where a family sits down opposite each other is not decoration. It is a wish for the house.

A Gift Worth Giving

A wedding, a new home, a christening — this is the board for the occasions where you want the gift to mean something as well as be used. It says plenty, family and a full table, and it plays a good game of chess.