Luxury Pomegranates and Grapes Walnut Backgammon Set, Hand-Painted

Luxury Pomegranates and Grapes Walnut Backgammon Set, Hand-Painted by Hrachya Ohanyan

Two pomegranates, a broken third spilling seeds, and dark grapes on an amber ground, painted in oils on a disc under clear epoxy in a chip-carved lid. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ luxury Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline. Handmade in walnut, resin-filled points, 32 checkers, dice from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the dining room with the still life over the sideboard, the Armenian grandmother's table, and the player who wants a painting on the lid and carving round it. The fruit glows as if lit from behind, the grapes catching the light one by one, seeds scattered on the cloth; clear epoxy over the oils gives it the depth of glass. Round the disc the walnut is worked in two levels: a raised moulded frame with cusped ends, star stipple inside it, diamond lattice beyond.

Inside, the points are filled with blue-and-white resin swirled like a sky under carved scroll tips, the petal wheel on each half is poured the same blue in a scrolled ring, and a stamped brass hinge holds the bar; the back carries a chequerboard of resin and walnut squares between two eternity whirls. For the wedding, the new house, and the player who wants fruit on the table all year.

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, blue resin in the points
• Decoration: a still life of two pomegranates, a broken pomegranate with its seeds and a bunch of grapes on an amber ground, painted by hand in oils on a round disc and sealed under clear epoxy, inside a rope-and-bead ring; a raised moulded frame with cusped ends, panels of chip-carved star stipple, diamond lattice on the outer fields and rope-and-bead borders around it; back cover with a chequerboard of blue-and-red resin and walnut squares, two eternity whirls in relief and diamond lattice; points and petal wheels in scrolled rings filled with blue-and-white resin 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

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

Why You'll Love It

• A still life you can play on: the pomegranates and grapes are oils on the walnut, sealed under polished epoxy, so the lid reads as a small framed painting and wipes clean like a tabletop.
• Carving in two levels: the frame round the disc is raised and moulded, with stipple and lattice cut below it, so the painting sits in a real carved surround rather than a flat border.
• 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 the fruit painted by hand? Yes — the still life is painted in oils directly onto the walnut disc, then poured over with clear epoxy, cured and polished, so the brushwork lies under a hard, glassy layer; the painter's tones vary a little from board to board. The lattice and stipple round it are chip-carved, and the points and wheels inside are filled with blue resin. 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.