Pomegranate Tree Walnut Backgammon Set in Epoxy, Medium

Pomegranate Tree Walnut Backgammon Set in Epoxy, Medium by Hrachya Ohanyan

A pomegranate tree in olive-green resin, its branches curling out to leaves and wine-red fruit, set flush into a walnut disc between panels of star lattice. This is the 50 cm / 19.6″ Armenian 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 Armenian flat with the small table, the sister who wanted the tree but not the sideboard to keep it on, and the player who likes the quiet colours. The tree is cut into the disc and poured: trunk, branches and leaves in a muted olive resin like old bronze, each pomegranate a drop of dark wine red, all sanded level with the walnut so the grain runs under the branches. A rope-and-bead ring holds it; star-lattice panels fill the lid to the corners.

Open, it keeps to the wood: cross-hatched points under fleur-de-lys tips and a petal wheel in a scrolled ring on each half, all in line work, with a stamped brass hinge on the bar. The medium board closes to the width of a laptop bag. For the coffee table, the office shelf, and the player who wants the tree in soft colours on a board that fits a smaller room.

Specifications

• Size open: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Size folded: 50 × 25 cm / 19.6″ × 9.8″
• Material: walnut wood, natural colour, varnished; olive-green and wine-red epoxy resin in the tree
• Decoration: a pomegranate tree — trunk, curling branches and leaves in olive-green epoxy resin, fruit in wine-red resin — cut into a smooth walnut disc and polished flush, 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 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

• Soft colours, real wood: olive and wine red rather than bright green and scarlet, so the tree reads as an old textile pattern and sits with any furniture.
• Medium size, full lid: the whole design — disc, tree, lattice panels and rope borders — is there on the medium board, on a footprint that suits a smaller table and a lighter bag.
• 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 does this differ from the Ararat pomegranate tree board? This is the medium, classic-outline version: the same tree cut into the walnut disc and filled with resin, but in muted olive and wine red rather than pearl green and scarlet, with straight edges instead of the mountain rim, and the points inside cut in line work rather than poured. The lattice round the disc is chip-carved and 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.