Spartan Shield Walnut Backgammon Set with Classic Outline

Spartan Shield Walnut Backgammon Set with Classic Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

A Spartan shield — the lambda of Lacedaemon raised on a dished disc, its face nicked and dented as if after the battle — carved into natural walnut. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline. Handmade in walnut, with 32 checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the man who has seen 300 more than once, the fencing club, and the player who wants a lid with no flowers on it. The shield is cut as a shallow bowl with a raised rim, the Λ standing proud across it and the surface pocked with dents, slashes and stipple where the spears landed. Around it a lobed cartouche of star stipple, chip-carved diamond lattice out to the square corners, rope-and-bead borders — the walnut's own colour throughout, no stain.

Open, the walnut is plain and quiet: cross-hatched points in line work with fleur-de-lys tips, a petal wheel in a scrolled ring on each half, a brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark on the bar; on the back, two eternity whirls in stippled discs. For the gym owner, the history teacher, and the player who wants the shield on the lid and the game underneath it.

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
• Carving: a Spartan hoplite shield — dished disc with a raised rim, the lambda Λ in relief, dents, slashes and stipple cut by hand — inside a rope-and-bead ring and lobed cartouche of star stipple; chip-carved diamond lattice on the outer fields; rope-and-bead borders; two eternity whirls in stippled discs on the back; petal wheels in scrolled rings and cross-hatched points in line work inside
• Outline: Classic — straight edges and square corners
• Hardware: brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark, cast-bronze clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Hand-carved backgammon board
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• A shield, not a picture of one: the disc is dished like a real hoplon, the rim raised and the Λ in relief, and every nick is cut by hand so it reads as bronze that has taken a blow.
• Walnut left honest: no stain, no colour — the grain runs through the shield and the lattice alike, and it darkens with the years.
• 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

What is the symbol on the shield? The lambda — Λ — the first letter of Lacedaemon, which the Spartans painted on their shields. Here the shield is carved as a dished disc with a raised rim into natural walnut, the letter in relief and the dents cut by hand, then varnished. The back carries two eternity whirls; 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.