Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Ararat under a Blue Sky

Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Ararat under a Blue Sky, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The one Ararat with a real sky. Inside a round carved frame the two peaks rise in deep relief, a poplar beside them, a furrowed road running down through the fields and the Armenian eternity sign turning at the roadside — and above the mountain, where every other board leaves bare wood, master Hrachya Ohanyan poured a sky of blue and white resin, marbled like a spring morning over the Ararat plain. Around the frame he carved arched panels of fine lattice, kept the outline classic and square, and let the natural beech glow. A luxury Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of wood, with the country's mountain in colour.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and a full 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens up: a carved wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, pale points tipped with carved fleur-de-lys flourishes, a small metal maker's plaque on the centre bar, and the warm 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 sideboard in the good room — the nardi set that gets shown before it gets played.

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; sky in blue and white resin
• Motif: Mount Ararat with a poplar, a furrowed road and the eternity sign, carved in relief inside a round frame under a blue resin sky; arched lattice panels, carved wheel 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, with velvet bases
• Dice set
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• A sky over Ararat: the blue resin is poured by hand into the carved cover and polished flush, so the mountain stands against real colour — the detail nobody expects from a wooden board.
• Carved deep, carved by hand: the peaks, the road, the eternity sign, the lattice arches and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop — 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? Yes. The mountain, the road, the eternity sign, the lattice and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed — run a finger across the peaks and you feel every ridge. The sky is resin poured into the carved recess and polished level with the wood, so it will not chip or peel.

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.

Ararat and the Eternity Sign

Ararat rises on the far side of the border, in full view of Yerevan and out of reach — the shape the whole country measures itself against, and never more so than on a clear blue morning when the snow on both peaks catches the sun. The eternity sign beside the road — arevakhach, the sun cross — has turned on khachkars and church walls since the Middle Ages and stands for life that does not end. Carved together under a real sky, they turn 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 50th birthday, a retirement or the parents who taught everyone to play, a hand-carved luxury Armenian backgammon set with Ararat under a blue sky on the cover is the backgammon gift set that ends the search. We send it at Christmas, on Father's Day and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.