Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Armenia & Artsakh Arms

Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Armenia & Artsakh Arms, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Two coats of arms, one on each cover. On the front, the eagle and the lion of the Republic of Armenia hold the shield with Ararat and the four royal houses; on the back, the crowned eagle of Artsakh spreads its wings over the "We Are Our Mountains" monument. Both emblems are drawn in fine dark lines on round panels of pale wood, and both are set into covers that master Hrachya Ohanyan carved to the edge — lobed panels of fine lattice, fish-scale texture, rope borders — in beech stained a deep brown. The outline is classic and square. A luxury Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of wood, with the country's two emblems on one board.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and a full 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens up: the two coats of arms again, in pale roundels at the heart of each half — Artsakh on one side, Armenia on the other — pale points tipped with carved fleur-de-lys flourishes, a small metal maker's plaque on the centre bar, and the deep grain of the board running through it all. Thirty-two checkers in light and dark wood, a dice set and the branded carrying case come with it. This is the handmade backgammon board for the family that stood up when the anthem played — and sat down to nardi straight after.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, carved from one piece, stained dark and varnished
• Motif: the coat of arms of Armenia on the front cover and the coat of arms of Artsakh on the back, drawn in fine line work on round pale-wood panels; hand-carved lobed lattice panels, fish-scale ground and rope borders; both emblems repeated inside
• Outline: classic, with carved stepped edges
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Handmade in Armenia by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Backgammon board with bronze hinges and clasps
• 32 checkers made from beech and walnut wood, with velvet bases
• Dice set
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• Two emblems, one board: Armenia on the front, Artsakh on the back, both again inside — whichever way it lies on the table, the right side is up.
• A frame carved by hand: the lattice, the fish-scale ground and the rope borders are all cut in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop — a cover you feel as much as see, and no two boards come out the same.
• Ready for the table: full-size 23.6″ / 60 cm board, checkers in light and dark wood, dice and a carrying case — open it and play.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How big is it? Open, the board is 23.6″ / 60 cm square — the standard full size for a living-room table. Closed, it is 23.6″ × 11.8″ / 60 × 30 cm and stands on its own edge.

Is the carving real? The frame is — the lattice, the fish-scale ground, the rope borders, the stepped edges and the flourishes inside are all cut into the wood by hand, in real relief. The two coats of arms are drawn in fine line work on panels of pale wood set into the covers and sealed under varnish, so every feather and letter stays crisp for decades. They are not prints or stickers.

What about shipping and returns? Shipping is free to the US, Canada and Europe, always tracked; other countries pay a flat $100 (Brazil, Chile and New Zealand $200). Every set is covered by our 30-day returns.

Can I add a name or a date? Yes — choose the engraving option on this page and tell us the text. A name or a date turns it into a personalized backgammon set, and it is the detail people remember years later.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sun and away from radiators, wipe with a dry soft cloth, and store it closed in the case.

The Two Coats of Arms

The arms of Armenia, adopted in 1992 from the design of the first republic of 1918, put an eagle and a lion either side of a shield: Ararat with Noah's ark at its centre, and around it the emblems of the four dynasties that ruled Armenia — Artaxiad, Arsacid, Bagratuni and Rubenid. Beneath the shield lie a sword, a broken chain, a sheaf of wheat, a quill and a ribbon. The arms of Artsakh, adopted the same year, set a crowned eagle over the mountains and, at its heart, the "We Are Our Mountains" monument — the grandmother and grandfather of Stepanakert, carved in tuff in 1967 and carried in Armenian hearts ever since. On a nardi board, the two together say exactly who is playing.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

In 1985, National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine wood craft, introducing a new approach to the age-old traditions of woodworking. After many years of dedication, the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop was established in 2010. Every board passes through 14 stages of production, with 14 separate craftsmen leaving their mark before it reaches its finished form — a piece of wood artistry admired both in Armenia and around the world. Read the story of master Hrachya Ohanyan or explore the full Hrachya Ohanyan backgammon collection.

A Gift That Lasts Generations

For a veteran, a diaspora club, an Independence Day birthday or the father who taught everyone the anthem before the game, a hand-carved luxury Armenian backgammon set with the arms of Armenia and Artsakh on the covers is the backgammon gift set that needs no card. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.