Luxury Coat of Arms and World Map Walnut Backgammon Set, Two-Sided

Luxury Coat of Arms and World Map Walnut Backgammon Set, Two-Sided by Hrachya Ohanyan

Two blues on one board: Armenia's coat of arms in walnut line work on a disc of sky-blue epoxy, the world map in walnut over a cobalt-and-white sea on the back. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ luxury Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, Ararat outline, two-sided. Handmade in walnut, 32 checkers, dice, branded case.

This is the board for the Armenian abroad and the player who wants the country on one side and the planet on the other. The arms are cut in fine line — eagle, lion, shield, sword and chain — and left the colour of the walnut against a swirl of pale blue resin; the map behind is the continents standing in wood over a deeper blue that runs to white where the pours met. Rope-and-bead frames, star stipple and lattice surround both; Ararat's snow ridges run along the top.

Open, the sky-blue comes back in the game itself: resin-filled points under carved scroll tips, a petal wheel in a blue-filled ring on each half, a brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark on the bar. For the diaspora wedding, the Armenian who has lived on three continents, and the player who wants home and the world in one box.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: walnut wood, natural colour, varnished; sky-blue and cobalt epoxy resin in the discs and points
• Decoration: the coat of arms of Armenia — eagle and lion holding the quartered shield, sword, broken chain and wheat beneath — in fine line work over a disc of pale sky-blue epoxy resin inside a rope-and-bead ring (front cover); the world map with the continents left standing in the walnut over cobalt-and-white epoxy resin in a cusped rope-and-bead cartouche (back cover); chip-carved star stipple, diamond lattice and rope-and-bead borders on both; the twin peaks of Mount Ararat with snow ridges carved on the top edge; points and petal-wheel rings inside filled with blue resin
• Outline: Ararat — the twin peaks of Mount Ararat along the top edge, over a scrolled body with curled corners
• Hardware: brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark, cast-bronze clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Epoxy-inlaid walnut backgammon board with the Ararat outline, carved on both covers
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• The country and the planet: the emblem on one cover, the map on the other, both in walnut over blue resin, so whichever way it lies the board says where you are from and where you have been.
• Ararat twice: the mountain sits at the heart of the shield and is carved again along the top edge as the board's own outline.
• 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

Which side is the front? Whichever you choose — both covers are finished to the same standard. The coat of arms is cut in fine line into the walnut and the disc around it is poured in pale blue resin; on the other cover the continents are the walnut itself, left standing while the oceans are poured in cobalt and white. Both are sanded flush and polished, the points inside are filled with the same resin, and the board is 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.