Sunburst Ornament Walnut Travel Backgammon Set in Copper Epoxy

Sunburst Ornament Walnut Travel Backgammon Set in Copper Epoxy by Hrachya Ohanyan

The small one, with the sunburst on it: rings of walnut lozenges round an eternity whirl, the ground between poured copper-brown, on a lid of chip-carved lattice. This is the 40 cm / 15.7″ Armenian wooden travel 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 glovebox, the weekend bag, and the player who wants the carved lid on a board that goes where they go. Nothing is scaled back: the disc is still a lattice of kites and diamonds left standing in the walnut, ring inside ring, with copper-brown resin poured into the lowered ground and polished level so the lozenges glow warm against it; the whirl sits at the hub in a plain ring, star-lattice panels flank it, and diamond lattice runs to the corners.

Inside, the walnut is natural and the work is line: cross-hatched points under fleur-de-lys tips, a petal wheel in a scrolled ring on each half, and a stamped brass hinge on the bar. Closed, it is the size of a hardback and the checkers ride in the bag with it. For the train, the holiday flat, and the player who wants a real carved board in the luggage.

Specifications

• Size open: 40 × 40 cm / 15.7″ × 15.7″
• Size folded: 40 × 20 cm / 15.7″ × 7.9″
• Material: walnut wood, natural colour, varnished; copper-brown epoxy resin in the sunburst
• Decoration: a sunburst of kite- and diamond-shaped lozenges radiating from an eternity whirl, cut as a lattice into the walnut with the ground between filled with copper-brown epoxy resin, sanded flush and polished, inside a rope-and-bead ring; cusped panels of chip-carved star lattice either side; diamond lattice on the outer fields; rope-and-bead borders; 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

• Epoxy-inlaid walnut travel backgammon board, carved lattice around the disc
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• The whole pattern, half the table: the sunburst, the star-lattice panels and the line work inside are all there at travel size, so nothing is lost but the footprint.
• Warm rather than loud: copper-brown resin between pale walnut lozenges reads as two tones of wood from across the room and as colour only up close.
• 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

Is this the same board as the medium sunburst? The same lid, one size down: the lattice of lozenges round the whirl, the star-lattice panels and the line work inside are cut the same way, and the resin poured into the ground is copper-brown here where the medium boards are pearl blue or dark brown. It folds smaller and lighter for the bag. 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.