Luxury Lion Walnut Backgammon Set with Contour Outline, Hand-Painted

Luxury Lion Walnut Backgammon Set with Contour Outline, Hand-Painted by Hrachya Ohanyan

A lion's head in profile, mane blazing orange and gold on a black ground, painted in oils under clear epoxy at the centre of a chip-carved lid. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ luxury wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, contour outline. Handmade in walnut, resin-filled points inside, 32 checkers, dice from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the Leo, the man everyone calls the lion, and the player who wants a painting rather than a carving on the lid. The lion looks out of the dark to the left, every strand of the mane brushed in reds, oranges and yellows, the eye lit; a pour of clear epoxy over the oils gives it the depth of glass. Round the disc the walnut is all chip-carving: a rope-and-bead ring, cusped panels of star lattice, diamond lattice out to the scrolled rim.

Inside, the points are drops of red resin swirled like marble under carved scroll tips, the petal wheel on each half is filled the same red inside a ring of scrolls, and a stamped brass hinge holds the bar; the back cover carries a chequerboard of red resin and walnut squares between eternity whirls. For the August birthday, the boardroom, and the player who wants fire on the lid.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: walnut wood, natural colour, varnished; oil painting under clear epoxy resin, red resin in the points
• Decoration: a lion's head in profile, mane in reds, oranges and yellows on a black ground, painted by hand in oils inside a round black disc and sealed under clear epoxy; rope-and-bead ring; cusped panels of chip-carved star lattice either side; diamond lattice on the outer fields; rope-and-bead borders; back cover with a chequerboard of red resin and walnut squares, eternity whirls in line work and lattice; points and petal wheels in scrolled rings filled with red resin inside
• Outline: Contour — scrolled edges with swelling shoulders, curled corners and a cusped top
• Hardware: brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark, cast-bronze clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Walnut backgammon board with a hand-painted lion under epoxy
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• An original, not a print: the lion is painted by hand in oils on the walnut and sealed under clear epoxy, so the brushwork has depth and no two lions come out quite the same.
• Red all the way in: the points and the wheels inside are poured with red resin and polished flush, so the fire on the lid carries on into the game.
• Make it theirs: add a name or a date at checkout to mark a birthday, a retirement or years of games together.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How is the lion made? Painted by hand in oils straight onto the walnut inside a round disc, then poured over with clear epoxy, cured and polished, so the mane sits under a hard, glassy layer; the painter's tones vary a little from board to board. The lattice round it is chip-carved into the walnut, and the points and wheels inside are filled with red resin. The board is varnished; nothing is printed or applied.

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 policy.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators. Wipe with a dry, soft cloth and store it closed in its carrying case.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine woodcraft in 1985 and founded his workshop in Yerevan in 2010. This board belongs to his collection of wooden backgammon sets, each one made by hand by the craftspeople of that workshop. Read Hrachya Ohanyan's story or explore the full backgammon collection.

Also known as nardi (нарды), nardy, tavla or shesh besh.