World Map Walnut Backgammon Set in Blue Epoxy, Medium

World Map Walnut Backgammon Set in Blue Epoxy, Medium by Hrachya Ohanyan

The world map on a round disc — continents standing pale in the walnut, the oceans a pour of indigo, turquoise and white epoxy — in a lid of chip-carved lattice. This is the 50 cm / 19.6″ wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline. Handmade in walnut, 32 checkers, dice from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the student's first flat abroad, the couple who met on the other side of the world, and the player who wants the planet on the lid without the price of the big one. The round disc reads as the globe itself: the resin runs from deep indigo through turquoise and white cloud, and the continents sit level with it, sanded flush and polished. A rope-and-bead ring holds the disc, and cusped panels of star lattice and diamond lattice carry the carving to the square corners.

The game itself is cut into bare walnut — twelve hatched points a side, each ending in a fleur-de-lys, and a wheel of petals in a scrolled ring where the dice land — with the maker's stamped brass hinge on the bar. For the gap year, the long-distance anniversary, and the player who wants the whole world within reach of the dice.

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; blue epoxy resin in the map disc
• Decoration: the world map on a round disc — continents left standing in the walnut, pale against the sea, and the oceans poured in indigo, turquoise and white 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; eternity whirls in relief and star stipple on the back cover; 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 with the world map disc
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• The globe on the lid: the round disc makes the map read as the planet itself — indigo seas, turquoise shallows, white cloud — with the land left as bare wood.
• Medium size, full carving: star lattice, diamond lattice and rope borders run to every corner of the medium lid, so nothing is lost at the smaller size.
• 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

Are the continents painted on? No — they are the walnut itself. The ground around them is cut away, the coloured epoxy is poured in and left to set, then the whole disc is sanded flush with the wood and polished, so the map is one level surface with the land in wood and the sea in resin. The swirls of turquoise and white are in the resin, and each pour swirls its own way. The lattice around the disc is chip-carved, the inside is cut in line work, 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.