Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Hayastan Khor Virap, Ararat Outline

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Hayastan Khor Virap, Ararat Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Three things every Armenian knows by heart, on one lid: the name of the country, the monastery on the rock, and the mountain behind them. The twin peaks of Ararat rise along the top edge of this board in carved relief, their slopes cut in rough strokes and the summits left pale; below them Khor Virap sits on its boulders in fine line work, wall and tower and gate; and across the front runs ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ — Hayastan — in pale ornamental letters against golden-brown beech, with a vine scroll at one end and an eternity whirl at the other. Master Hrachya Ohanyan textures the whole ground by hand and frames it in rope and beads. A handmade Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of wood at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens on a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, points in pale and dark wood tipped with fleur-de-lys, a carved scalloped frame round the field and an ornate 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 Sunday table with the big pot on it, the veranda in Ashtarak, and the cousin in Los Angeles who needs one thing from home that is not food.

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 golden brown and varnished
• Motif: the word Hayastan (Armenia) in ornamental Armenian letters in pale wood, Khor Virap monastery on its rock in fine line work, the peaks of Ararat carved in relief along the top edge, a vine scroll and an eternity whirl; hand-textured ground with rope-and-bead borders; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: Mount Ararat — the twin peaks carved in relief along the top, with scrolled corners
• 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

• The postcard, carved: Ararat in relief, Khor Virap in line work, the country's name in pale wood — three techniques on one lid from the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, and no two boards the same.
• The mountain is the board: the Ararat outline is not a picture of the peaks but the shape of the lid itself — closed, the board stands on its edge with the summits up.
• 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 — in three techniques. The peaks of Ararat along the top, the rope-and-bead borders and the textured ground are cut into the beech by hand in relief. The monastery, its walls and the rocks are drawn in fine line work into the wood, and the letters of ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ are worked into the surface in pale wood against the golden stain. Nothing is printed. The 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 Border and the Mountain

From the walls of Khor Virap the whole of Ararat fills the sky, just across the border — the mountain on Armenia's coat of arms, on its banknotes and on its cognac labels, standing outside the country that calls it its own. That is why the monastery is where every visit to Armenia starts, and why this view hangs on more kitchen walls than any other. Noah's ark is said to have come to rest on the summit; Gregory the Illuminator spent thirteen years in the pit under the chapel; the vineyards between the monastery and the border make the wine. The workshop carved the mountain as the board's own outline, drew the monastery below it and wrote Hayastan underneath, so nobody has to ask where it is from.

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 housewarming, a grandfather's name day, a friend's first trip back to Yerevan or the family that plays nardi after every Sunday lunch, an Armenian backgammon set with Ararat, Khor Virap and Hayastan on the lid is the backgammon gift set that needs no explaining. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and on Father's Day. It gets opened, played and passed on.