Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Diving Eagle, Ararat Outline

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Diving Eagle, Ararat Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

An eagle coming down out of the mountain. The top edge of this board is cut into the two peaks of Ararat with the snow left in pale bare wood, and below them, in a round rope-ringed frame, master Hrachya Ohanyan carved an eagle at the bottom of its dive — wings swept up behind it, tail fanned, talons open — every feather cut separately so the bird stands clear of a stippled ground. Around the frame runs a field of fine carved lattice between lobed panels inside a beaded border, the sides curve in and out, and the whole board is stained a warm honey brown. A handmade Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of beech at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm — the bird of the high Armenian sky, and the mountain it circles.

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 house with the view of the mountain, the Yerevan office and the friend who left Armenia and still calls it home.

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 round rope-ringed frame on a stippled ground; carved lattice field, lobed panels, beaded border; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: Mount Ararat silhouette — the two peaks cut into the top edge with pale snow, scalloped sides
• 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

• 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.
• The board is the mountain: the Ararat outline is cut into the wood itself, snow and all — closed on a shelf it reads as sculpture 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, peaks up.

Is the carving real? Yes. The eagle, the lattice, the rope and beaded borders, the mountain edge and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed. The snow on the peaks is the beech left bare, and 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 Eagle of Ararat

The eagle is on the coat of arms of Armenia, and it is in the sky over Ararat every day: golden eagles nest on the ridges of the Armenian highlands and hunt the slopes below the snowline. Master Ohanyan carves the bird at the moment it drops, wings thrown up to brake, and puts the two peaks of the mountain over its head in bare pale wood, so that closed on a shelf the board is a picture of the country — the mountain, the bird, the silence between them. Open it, and it is a nardi board that has watched the mountain all day.

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 birthday in the diaspora, a pilot's wings, a hunter, a graduation or the friend who has Ararat as a phone background, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with a diving eagle under the peaks of Ararat is the backgammon gift set that needs no card. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.