Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Ararat in a Scalloped Frame

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Ararat in a Scalloped Frame, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Ararat inside a frame that curls at every edge: the two peaks with their snow, a poplar, a pair of birds, a furrowed road running down toward the word ARMENIA and a fan of rays beneath it, all carved in relief — and around the scene a wide scalloped frame of leaf scrolls, its lobes cut deep, with a fine stippled ground filling the cover out to a beaded border. Master Hrachya Ohanyan kept the outline classic and square and the beech its warm natural colour. A handmade Armenian backgammon set from a single piece of wood, from the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and a full 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens up: a carved flower ornament at the heart of each half, pale points tipped with small carved drops, a small metal 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 carrying bag come with it. This is the wooden backgammon set for the long Sunday lunch — the one that comes out when the plates are cleared and the arguing can start in earnest.

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 and varnished
• Motif: Mount Ararat with a poplar, birds, a furrowed road, rays and the word ARMENIA, carved in relief inside a scalloped frame of leaf scrolls; stippled ground, beaded border, carved flower ornaments 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
• Dice set
• Carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• A frame you can feel: every lobe of the scalloped scrollwork stands off the stippled ground in real relief — cut in the Ohanyan workshop, and no two boards come out the same.
• It says ARMENIA: the one board on the shelf that needs no explaining, to guests or to grandchildren.
• Ready for the table: full-size 23.6″ / 60 cm board, checkers in light and dark wood, dice and a bag — 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? Yes. The mountain, the scrolls, the stippled ground and the flower ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed — run a finger around the frame and you feel every lobe.

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 bag.

Ararat

Ararat rises on the far side of the border, in full view of Yerevan and out of reach — which is exactly why it is on so many Armenian walls, bottles, carpets and boards. The two peaks, Masis and Sis, are the first thing the country sees in the morning and the last thing it sees at night. Framed in scrolls on a nardi board with the country's name beneath, the mountain turns the family game into a small piece of home — wherever the family happens to be.

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 wedding, a new home or the uncle who has beaten everyone at nardi for thirty years, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with Ararat and the word ARMENIA on the cover is the backgammon gift set that says it all. We send it at Christmas, on Father's Day and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.