Playing backgammon in the courtyard near their homes in Yerevan, 1959

About us

Chess and backgammon boards, carved by hand in Armenia for the people who play on them.

Playing backgammon in the courtyard near their homes in Yerevan, 1959

Who we are

A small shop in Yerevan that sells the boards Armenians have carved for centuries.

LionLaurel is run by Davit Davoyan. We work with the workshop of National Master Hrachya Ohanyan and a few other Armenian carvers, photograph every board ourselves, and ship it to your door, tracked and insured, anywhere in the world.

700+boards, sets and tables in the shop, every one made by hand

40years Hrachya Ohanyan has worked with wood, since 1985

14stages, from the plank to the finished board

5.0average from 68 customer reviews

The maker

Hrachya Ohanyan, National Master

Hrachya began working fine wood in 1985 and founded his workshop in Yerevan in 2010. Today fourteen craftsmen work there: carvers, joiners and finishers. Most of the boards you see on this site come from that workshop and carry his mark on the hinge.

His backgammon boards are his best-known work: Mount Ararat along the top edge, lions and eagles in deep relief, the Armenian eternity sign, the coat of arms, scenes from Noah's Ark.

“There is a soul in the tree, which only skillful hands can give shape and colour to.”Hrachya Ohanyan

Meet Hrachya His backgammon boards

What we make

Four things, all of them wood

Backgammon sets

Called nardi here. 30 to 60 cm, in beech or walnut, with carved covers and inlaid points. From $150 to collector pieces.

See backgammon sets

Chess sets

Folding boards with hand-turned pieces, from a plain classic set to carved and epoxy boards. Some open into a backgammon board.

See chess sets

Chess & backgammon in one

Chess on the outside, backgammon inside. One board, two games, the way most Armenian homes keep it.

See 2-in-1 sets

Game tables

Chess and backgammon tables with carved legs and drawers for the pieces. Shipped by furniture freight.

See tables

How a board is made

Nothing here is printed.

Every pattern is cut into the wood by hand, and the colour lives in the wood itself under the varnish. A board passes through fourteen stages and many hands before it is finished, which is why it takes one to two weeks to make yours.

**Carved in deep relief**Deep enough to throw a shadow. The lion's mane stands off the panel in thick strands.

**Inlaid, not painted**The pale points are hornbeam set into the walnut. On the Noah's Ark board, Ararat's snow is the walnut's own pale sapwood.

**Ararat on the edge**On many boards the twin peaks of Mount Ararat rise along the top edge. Contour boards have scrolled edges and curled corners.

**The maker's mark**Cast hinges and clasps, stamped with the workshop's mark on the bar of the board.

**Everything to play**Full-size sets come with 32 beech and walnut checkers, a dice set cut from billiard balls and a carrying case.

**Old signs, new boards**The eternity sign, the pomegranate, the grapevine: the same ornaments Armenians have carved into stone crosses for a thousand years.

Why Armenia

Here, the game is part of the day.

In Armenia you see backgammon in courtyards, in parks, on picnics. At the Vernissage market in Yerevan, carved boards line the stalls, and some sellers play a game while they wait for customers. In the centre of the city a bronze man has sat at his nardi board since 2007.

The carving comes from an older tradition. Armenia has more than 50,000 khachkars, carved cross-stones, and no two are alike. UNESCO put the craft on its list of the intangible heritage of humanity in 2010. The same hands, and the same ornaments, moved from stone into walnut and beech.

That is what you get with a board from here: a game people have played for generations, carved by people who grew up playing it.

Backgammon set with a diving eagle carved on the cover

How your order works

Made for you, then sent to your door

1. You orderPick a board, add a name or a date if you like. Pay by card, PayPal, Google Pay or Apple Pay.

2. We make itYour piece is made for you after you order, in one to two weeks. Tables take a little longer.

3. It travelsFree shipping to the US, Canada and Europe by DHL or FedEx, tracked and insured, 7 to 9 business days. US and EU orders arrive duties paid.

4. You playNot right? You have 30 days to return it. Arrived damaged? We replace it or refund you, your choice.

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5.0 from 68 reviews

Read them all

“The craftsmanship is outstanding. The carved details and rich wood finish make this chess table feel like a statement piece.”

Nelson H., verified buyer

“Intricate details are present all over the artwork and it truly is a pleasure to look at this set while playing. Pictures don't do this set justice.”

Yakoov, verified buyer

“Absolutely beautiful! In love with it.”

Abdelghani S., verified buyer

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