Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Coat of Arms of Ossetia, Contour Outline

Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Coat of Arms of Ossetia, Contour Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

A leopard walking out of the mountains. In the round rope-ringed frame on the cover, master Hrachya Ohanyan carved the coat of arms of Ossetia in deep relief — the snow leopard striding across the foothills with its long tail curled high, and behind it the peaks of the Caucasus rising in sharp facets, every ridge cut so the light catches one face and shades the next. The cat's spotted coat, the set of its shoulders and the ground under its paws all stand clear of a fine stippled ground. Around the frame runs a field of carved lattice between lobed panels inside a beaded border, and the whole board is cut in a contour outline: scalloped sides that curve in and out, a cusped top edge, stepped rims under your hand. A handmade wooden backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of beech at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm, stained a deep honey brown.

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 Ossetian household far from home, the Caucasus enthusiast and the table where the game is called nardy and the loser makes the tea.

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: the coat of arms of Ossetia — a snow leopard striding before the mountains — carved in deep relief inside a round rope-ringed frame on a stippled ground; carved lattice field, lobed panels, beaded border; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: contour — scalloped sides and a cusped top edge, with carved stepped rims
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Entirely handmade 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

• Leopard in real relief: the cat, the mountains and the ground under its paws are carved by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop and stand well off the ground — run a finger along the tail and you feel every curve, and no two boards come out the same.
• Contour outline: the board is not a box — its scalloped, cusped silhouette is cut into the wood itself, so closed on a shelf it reads as a carving before it reads as a game.
• 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 leopard and the mountains, the lattice, the rope and beaded borders, the contour edges 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.

The Leopard and the Mountains

The snow leopard walking in front of the mountains is the oldest emblem the Ossetians have. It appears as the arms of Ossetia in the atlas of Prince Vakhushti in 1735, and both Ossetian republics carry it on their coats of arms today — a golden leopard on a red field, the peaks of the Caucasus behind it. The leopard is the courage of the Alan ancestors; the mountains are home. Carved in relief on a nardy board, the cat walks out of the peaks every time the lid is closed and goes back into them every time it opens.

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 an Ossetian wedding, a jubilee birthday, a son leaving Vladikavkaz for the city or the friend who counts the Caucasus as home, a hand-carved wooden backgammon set with the leopard and the mountains on the cover is the backgammon gift set that needs no card. We send it at New Year and for Jeorguyba in November. It gets opened, played and passed on.