Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Gandzasar and We Are Our Mountains

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Gandzasar and We Are Our Mountains, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Two covers, two faces of Artsakh. Close this board one way and you are looking at Gandzasar — the thirteenth-century cathedral of St. John the Baptist with its tall drum and pointed dome, the belfry beside it and the paved court in front, all carved in relief inside a round rope-ringed frame. Turn it over and the old couple of "We Are Our Mountains" look back at you, Tatik and Papik, carved in the same frame with the same care. Master Hrachya Ohanyan set each scene on a stippled ground between lobed panels of fine lattice, ran a beaded border round the edge and finished the beech in a warm honey brown. A handmade Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of wood, 23.6″ / 60 cm — and there is no back to it: whichever side faces the room is the front.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens on a carved wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, pale points tipped with fleur-de-lys flourishes and an ornate bronze hinge on the centre bar. 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 has an Artsakh story and wants it told on the table, not kept in a drawer.

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 honey brown and varnished
• Motif: two-sided — Gandzasar Monastery on one cover, the "We Are Our Mountains" monument on the other, each carved in relief inside a round rope-ringed frame on a stippled ground with lobed lattice panels; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points 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 fronts, no back: Gandzasar on one cover and Tatik and Papik on the other, both cut by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop — stand it either way up, and no two boards come out the same.
• Carving you can feel: the dome, the belfry, the paving stones and the folds of the old woman's headscarf all stand off the ground under your fingertips.
• 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? Yes. Both scenes, the lattice panels, the beaded border and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed. The honey colour is a stain in the wood under the varnish.

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.

Gandzasar and We Are Our Mountains

Gandzasar — "treasure mountain" — stands above the village of Vank in the Martakert region of Artsakh. Its cathedral of St. John the Baptist was finished in 1238 by Prince Hasan-Jalal, and the drum of its dome is carved with figures and inscriptions that count among the finest stone-carving in the Armenian world; for centuries it was the seat of the Catholicos of Aghvank. Down the road above Stepanakert, the two tuff heads of "We Are Our Mountains" rose in 1967 — Tatik and Papik, rooted in the land they stand for. A church and a monument, the two pictures of Artsakh most Armenians carry in their heads, here carved on the two covers of one nardi board.

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 housewarming, a grandfather from Martakert or the friend who lost the argument about which cover is the prettier one, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with Gandzasar and Tatik and Papik on its two sides is the backgammon gift set that carries two pictures of home. We send it at Christmas, on Father's Day and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.