St. Gayane Church Backgammon Set in Relief, Ararat Outline, Medium

St. Gayane Church Backgammon Set in Relief, Ararat Outline, Medium by Hrachya Ohanyan

St. Gayane Church raised from the wood — walls, arches, drum and dome in relief on a disc — GAYANE below, Ararat's twin peaks carved into the top edge. This is the 50 cm / 19.6″ Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, Ararat outline. Handmade in beech, with 32 checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the family that wants the church you can touch, on the smaller table. Here the church is sculpted, not drawn: the blocks of the wall are cut one by one, the three arches open into shadow, the drum and its pointed dome stand highest, and the courtyard flags run out to a pale plaque that reads GAYANE. A rope-and-bead ring holds the disc; the panels around it are stippled with tiny stars, and the outer fields are a chip-carved scale pattern up to the peaks on the rim.

Open, the field is walnut brown with pale drop-tipped points, a petal wheel in a scrolled ring cut into each half and a small cast hinge on the bar; on the back, an eternity whirl sits in a stippled disc. For the Etchmiadzin grandparents, the flat with one good table, and the player who wants the church in relief and the mountain as the shape.

Specifications

• Size open: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Size folded: 50 × 25 cm / 19.6″ × 9.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained walnut brown and varnished, the plaque left pale
• Carving: St. Gayane Church in relief on a smooth disc inside a rope-and-bead ring, GAYANE lettered on a pale plaque beneath; Mount Ararat's twin peaks carved into the top rim; star-stippled lobed panels; chip-carved scale pattern on the outer fields; eternity whirl in a stippled disc on the back
• Outline: Ararat — the twin peaks of the mountain carved into the top edge of the board
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Hand-carved backgammon board
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• The church stands up: walls, arches, drum and dome are carved in relief, so the building throws its own shadows instead of being drawn on the surface.
• Ararat as the outline: the two summits are cut into the top rim of the board, pale-tipped, so the mountain is the shape of the set, not a picture on it.
• Make it theirs: add a name or a date at checkout to mark a birthday, a retirement or years of games together.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How does this differ from the other St. Gayane boards? This is the one carved in relief: the church stands off the disc, block by block, where the other Gayane boards draw it in line work on a pale disc. It is also the medium size, with the same Ararat peaks on the rim. Everything on it is cut from the beech — church, peaks, stipple and scale pattern — then stained and varnished; nothing is printed or applied.

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 policy.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators. Wipe with a dry, soft cloth and store it closed in its carrying case.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine woodcraft in 1985 and founded his workshop in Yerevan in 2010. This board belongs to his collection of wooden backgammon sets, each one made by hand by the craftspeople of that workshop. Read Hrachya Ohanyan's story or explore the full backgammon collection.

Also known as nardi (нарды), nardy, tavla or shesh besh.