Luxury Walnut Palmette Chess and Backgammon Set with Metal Pieces

Luxury Walnut Palmette Chess and Backgammon Set with Metal Pieces — Handmade in Armenia

Heart-shaped palmettes in deep relief run round the chessboard of this luxury walnut chess and backgammon set — each a cupped leaf inside a curling heart on a dotted ground — with a backgammon field inside and 32 metal-mounted pieces. 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ open, handmade in Armenia from walnut, with checkers, dice and a bag.

This is the wooden chess set at the top of the range, and the border is why: the palmettes stand a finger's depth off the frame, one after another with a bead line above and a stippled ground behind, the same on all four sides. The coordinates are carved beside the two-tone squares; the board folds to 30 × 60 cm on bronze hinges with clasps.

Open it and the backgammon field is drawn in line work into the walnut with a flower disc in each half. The pieces are the other half of the price: pale bodies for one side, black for the other, each mounted in cast metal — crowns, collars and bases — with horse-head knights. Checkers and dice go in the bag.

Specifications

• Size: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Material: walnut wood with two-tone inlaid squares; cast metal piece mounts
• Carving: heart-shaped palmette border in deep relief with bead line and stippled ground, carved coordinates, line-work backgammon field with flower discs inside
• Pieces: 32 chess pieces with cast metal crowns, collars and bases on pale and black bodies; 32 wooden backgammon checkers; dice set
• Hardware: bronze hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: handmade in Armenia

What's Included

• Folding walnut board — chess outside, backgammon inside
• 32 metal-mounted chess pieces, 16 pale and 16 black
• 32 wooden backgammon checkers
• Dice set
• Carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• The deepest border in the range: palmettes cut a finger deep, all the way round — carving you can see from across the room and feel from the chair.
• Pieces to match: metal-mounted kings, queens and knights on pale and black bodies, not plain turned wood.
• Two games in one board: chess under the carving, nardi inside, on real walnut.

Good to Know Before You Buy

What are the pieces made of? Each piece has a cast metal crown, collar and base in a gold tone, mounted on a body that is pale and translucent for one side and black for the other. They are heavier than wooden pieces and sit steady on the walnut. The board itself is walnut, carved and inlaid.

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 heat. Dust the palmettes with a soft brush, wipe the field with a dry cloth, wipe the metal dry, and keep the pieces, checkers and dice in the bag.

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