Tree of Life with Red Fruit Armenian Backgammon Set

Tree of Life with Red Fruit Armenian Backgammon Set — Handmade in Armenia

Pale wood against dark: the Tree of Life on this Armenian backgammon set is carved in a lighter timber than the lid, its branches filling a rope-bordered roundel with small red beads set among the leaves as fruit and the roots fanning out over a stippled ground. A diamond lattice surrounds the roundel, lobed panels frame it on either side, and a cut-out carry handle passes through the top edge of each half. 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″ open, 30 × 60 cm folded, handmade in Armenia.

The wooden backgammon board's other face keeps the lattice and the lobed panels and sets a chequered panel of pale and dark inlaid squares between them.

The playing side inside is inlaid in the same pale wood — points with arrow tips and an interlaced roundel in the middle of each half — with grips cut into the side rails and a dice recess in every corner. Thirty-two wooden checkers and a pair of dice come with it.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, dark stained with pale wood inlays and red bead fruit, brass hinges and clasps
• Carving: Tree of Life in pale wood with red bead fruit in a rope-bordered roundel, diamond lattice ground with lobed panels; inlaid chequered panel between lattice panels on the other face
• Checkers: 32 wooden checkers, beech and walnut; dice
• Carry handle: cut-out grip through the top edge of both halves
• Inside: pale inlaid points with arrow tips and an interlaced pale-wood roundel in each half; side grips and corner dice recesses
• Hardware: brass hinges and two side clasps
• Craftsmanship: handmade in Armenia

What's Included

• Folding beech backgammon board with carry handle
• 32 wooden checkers, beech and walnut
• Dice

Why You'll Love It

• The tree is a different wood: pale against the dark stained lid, so it reads from across the room.
• Real red on the branches: the fruit are small red beads set into the carving, not paint.
• Lattice to the edges: a cut diamond grid surrounds the roundel and repeats on the chequered face.

Good to Know Before You Buy

What are the red fruit made of? Small glossy red beads pressed into the pale-wood branches — a dozen or so, visible in the close-up. The tree, its roots and the stippled ground are carved; the beads are the only colour added.

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? Brush the carving with a soft dry brush and wipe the flat surfaces with a dry cloth. Keep the board out of direct sun and store it closed with the checkers inside.

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