Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Diving Eagle

Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Diving Eagle, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Wings back, talons out. In the wide lobed cartouche on the cover, master Hrachya Ohanyan carved an eagle in the last second of its dive — wings swept up behind it, tail fanned, legs thrust forward with the talons open, every feather cut separately so the bird stands clear of a stippled ground. Around the cartouche runs a rope border and a field of fine carved lattice to the stepped edges, and the whole board is stained a warm honey brown. A handmade wooden backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of beech at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm — no frame around the bird but the one it is about to break out of.

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 hunting lodge, the office of the man who runs the company and the friend who thinks the eagle on the coat of arms is not enough eagle.

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: an eagle diving with wings swept back and talons open, carved in deep relief inside a lobed cartouche on a stippled ground; rope border, carved lattice field; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: classic, with carved stepped edges
• 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

• Eagle in real relief: wings, tail and talons are carved by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop and stand well off the ground — run a finger along a wing and you feel every feather, and no two boards come out the same.
• Lattice to the edge: the whole cover outside the cartouche is cut into fine carved lattice inside a rope border — a background that took as long as the bird.
• 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 eagle, the lattice, the rope 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.

The Dive

Carvers have put eagles on things for as long as there have been things to carve — on standards, on gates, on the backs of thrones — but almost always perched or spread flat, heraldic, still. This one moves. Master Ohanyan caught the bird at the moment every falconer knows: the wings thrown up to brake, the feet coming forward, the eyes already on the ground. It is the hardest pose to carve, because nothing in it is symmetrical, and it is the reason the board reads as a picture rather than an emblem. On a nardi board it does what a diving eagle should: it makes the other player hurry.

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 hunter, a pilot, a falconer, a promotion or the friend who has an eagle on every belt buckle, a hand-carved wooden backgammon set with a diving eagle on the cover is the backgammon gift set that needs no card. We send it at Christmas and on Father's Day. It gets opened, played and passed on.