Armenian Backgammon Set - Painted Grapes in a Carved Frame

Armenian Backgammon Set - Painted Grapes in a Carved Frame, by Hrachya Ohanyan

A painting in a carved frame. At the centre of the cover, inside a round frame ringed with rope and beads, sits a still life painted by hand: a heavy bunch of pink-red grapes with its leaves, laid on a stone ledge against a warm, clouded ground, every grape given its own highlight, the leaves curling and turning at the edges. Around the painting the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop did what it does best — a field of fine carved lattice between lobed panels inside rope borders, stepped rims, the whole board stained a warm honey brown. A handmade Armenian backgammon set from a single piece of beech at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm — the classic straight board, with a picture on the lid instead of a carving.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 23.6″ / 60 cm 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 dining room with pictures on the walls, the wine bar that needs one thing on the shelf that is not a bottle, and the friend who likes colour more than carving.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, made from one piece, stained honey brown and varnished; the picture painted by hand on a smooth wooden panel and sealed under varnish
• Motif: a still life of grapes with leaves on a stone ledge, painted by hand inside a carved round rope-and-bead frame; carved lattice field, lobed panels with rope edges; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: classic, with carved stepped edges
• 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

• A painting, not a print: the grapes are painted by hand — brush-marks, a highlight on every grape, the shadow on the stone ledge — and sealed under varnish, so every board's picture is a little different from the next.
• A carved frame around it: rope-and-bead ring, lattice field, lobed panels and stepped rims — the workshop's full carving wrapped around a painted heart.
• 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 picture painted? Yes. The grapes are painted by hand on a smooth wooden panel and sealed under varnish, not printed. The round frame around them, the lattice field, the borders and the wheel ornaments inside are carved by hand in relief. The honey colour of the board 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.

Grapes on the Wall

Armenians have always painted their fruit. Martiros Saryan, the country's great painter, filled canvas after canvas with the grapes, peaches and pomegranates of the Ararat plain in colours nobody had dared before, and the still life of a bunch of grapes on a ledge hangs in kitchens from Yerevan to Los Angeles. The grapes themselves are the oldest crop in the country — the winery found in the Areni cave is more than six thousand years old, and the Book of Genesis has Noah planting the first vineyard on the slopes of Ararat. In the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop the carvers finish the frame and the lattice, and then the board goes to a painter, who lays in the grapes one highlight at a time. On a nardi board it is a small Armenian still life, closed, on a shelf.

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 dining room with pictures on the walls, a wedding table, a wine bar opening or the friend who likes colour more than carving, an Armenian backgammon set with a painted bunch of grapes on the lid is the backgammon gift set that goes with the wine and the walls. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.