St. Hripsime Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline, Two-Sided, Medium

St. Hripsime Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline, Two-Sided, Medium by Hrachya Ohanyan

St. Hripsime Church drawn in line on a pale disc on one cover, an Armenian knotwork ornament on the other, Ararat's peaks on the rim. This is the 50 cm / 19.6″ Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, Ararat outline, two-sided. Handmade in beech, with 32 checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the Etchmiadzin family and the player who wants a different cover each time it is turned. The church is drawn in fine line on a pale disc — blocked walls, arched door, the drum and its pointed dome, flagstones running out in front — held by a rope-and-bead ring inside a lobed cartouche. Turn it over and a knot of leaf-tipped loops fills a matching disc, an eternity whirl on either side, diamond lattice out to the scrolled edge.

Open it and the game side is quiet: pale points tipped in fleur-de-lys on a walnut-brown field, a petal wheel in a scrolled ring on each half, an ornate cast hinge along the bar. For the wedding in Etchmiadzin, the diaspora living room, and the player who wants the church, the knot and the mountain on one medium-sized board.

Specifications

• Size open: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Size folded: 50 × 25 cm / 19.6″ × 9.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained walnut brown, the discs left pale, finished with natural beeswax
• Carving: St. Hripsime Church in line work on a pale disc inside a rope-and-bead ring and lobed cartouche, chip-carved scale pattern on the fields around it (front); Armenian knotwork ornament of leaf-tipped loops on a pale disc, two eternity whirls in stippled discs, chip-carved diamond lattice (back); Mount Ararat's twin peaks carved into the top rim, snow caps textured and left pale; petal wheels in scrolled rings inside
• Outline: Ararat — the twin peaks of the mountain carved into the top edge of the board
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

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

Why You'll Love It

• Two covers, one board: the church on one side, the knot on the other — turn it and the lid changes, and there is no plain back.
• Ararat as the outline: the top edge is cut into the twin peaks, snow caps textured and left pale, so the mountain is there even when the board is closed with the church face down.
• 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 church carved or printed? Neither printed nor raised: the church and the knot are cut in line into pale discs, the way a drawing is scored into wood, so they stay flat and crisp under the hand. The scale pattern, the lattice, the whirls and the peaks on the rim are chip-carved into the same beech, which is then stained and finished with natural beeswax rather than a thick varnish. Nothing is 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.