Travel Armenian Rosettes Beech Backgammon Set for Three Players, 30 cm

Travel Armenian Rosettes Beech Backgammon Set for Three Players, 30 cm by Hrachya Ohanyan

Solid beech, the fields carved from the solid, a different rosette on each leaf — a spiral of lotus buds, a whirl of four leaves, a daisy in scrolls — left pale on a chip-carved ground. This is the 30 cm / 11.8″ travel Armenian wooden backgammon set for three players made by Hrachya Ohanyan. 48 checkers, dice, branded bag.

This is the board for the three who want the carved board in a bag, the chalet weekend, and the club that travels to its matches. Each leaf is a field cut from the solid — twelve pale points under fleur-de-lys tips, a petal wheel in a scrolled ring, a scalloped rim — and the three leaves meet at a central bar in a three-pointed star. Outside, the rosettes and corner scrolls stand pale on a dark-stained ground, the cover between them chip-carved in a fine star stipple.

It folds to a chevron on cast-bronze clasps, with the maker's stamped hinge on the bar, and slides into a felt bag cut to its outline. The game is the Armenian one for three, devised in 2007 — fifteen checkers each in natural, dark and red, first to bear off wins. For the mountain house, the away match, and the three who want solid wood at travel size.

Specifications

• Size open: three leaves of about 30 × 15 cm / 11.8″ × 5.9″ meeting at the centre in a three-pointed star
• Size folded: 30 × 30 × 3 cm / 11.8″ × 11.8″ × 1.2″ — a chevron, three leaves stacked
• Material: beech wood, carved from the solid, stained walnut brown and varnished, the rosettes, scrolls and points left pale
• Carving: three Armenian rosettes, a different one on each leaf — a spiral of lotus buds, a whirl of four leaves, a daisy in a wreath of scrolls — left pale on lowered dark-stained discs; pale acanthus scrolls in the corners; the covers chip-carved in a star stipple between; three fields carved from the solid with scalloped rims, pale fleur-de-lys-tipped points and a petal wheel in a scrolled ring on each
• Outline: Triad — three leaves hinged in a chain, opening to a three-pointed star and folding to a chevron
• Hardware: brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark, cast-bronze clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Three-sided backgammon board carved in solid beech, a different rosette on each leaf
• 48 beech and walnut checkers in three colours — natural, dark and red — with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying bag cut to the board's shape

Why You'll Love It

• Solid beech, travel size: the fields are carved from the block with scalloped rims, and the covers are chip-carved in a star stipple round the rosettes — the small three-player board with the carving of the big ones.
• Three rosettes, three designs: a spiral of lotus buds, a whirl of four leaves and a daisy in scrolls, one to a leaf, so no two sides of the closed board match.
• 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 carved one or the plywood one? The carved one: solid beech, the three fields cut from the solid with their points, petal wheels and scalloped rims, the covers chip-carved in a star stipple round pale rosettes and scrolls on dark-stained grounds, the whole board varnished. The plywood travel board at the same 30 cm has its rosettes in line work on flat covers; this one is carved throughout. Three-player backgammon is the Armenian game devised in 2007: three colours, fifteen checkers each, first to bear off wins. 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 bag.

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.