World Map Walnut Backgammon Set in Navy Epoxy with Ararat Outline

World Map Walnut Backgammon Set in Navy Epoxy with Ararat Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

The world map in a storm: continents left standing pale in the walnut, the oceans poured in navy, black and electric-blue epoxy that swirls like a night sea, under Ararat's carved peaks. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, Ararat outline. Handmade in walnut, 32 checkers, dice and a branded case.

This is the board for the sailor, the night owl, and the player who wants the map dark and dramatic rather than sky blue. The resin here is poured almost black, then cut through with veins of electric blue and cyan and flecks of white, so the oceans look lit from below and the pale continents float on it. A rope-and-bead frame follows the cusped edge of the map, diamond lattice fills the lid to the curled corners, and the twin peaks of Ararat rise off the top edge.

Inside there is no colour at all — the walnut is left natural and the game is drawn in line: hatched points tipped with fleurs-de-lys, a petal wheel inside a ring of scrolls on each half, the maker's stamped brass hinge on the bar. For the captain's cabin, the study with the old atlases, and the player who prefers the sea after dark.

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; navy and electric-blue epoxy resin in the oceans
• Decoration: the world map with the continents left standing in the walnut, pale against the sea, and the oceans poured in navy, black, electric-blue, cyan and white epoxy resin, sanded flush and polished, inside a cusped rope-and-bead cartouche; chip-carved diamond lattice to the rim and rope-and-bead borders; the twin peaks of Mount Ararat with snow ridges carved on the top edge; 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: Ararat — the twin peaks of Mount Ararat along the top edge, over a scrolled body with curled 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 the navy epoxy world map and the Ararat outline
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• A night sea, not a postcard: the resin is poured dark and shot through with electric blue, so the map reads as weather and current rather than a flat blue fill.
• Ararat over the map: the mountain's twin peaks and snow ridges are carved into the top edge, the corners curl, and the scrolled outline is cut from the same board as the map.
• 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

Why is this one darker than the other map boards? Each map is poured by hand and the colours are chosen for that board: here the resin is mostly navy and black with electric blue and cyan run through it, where the other boards in the range are sky blue or turquoise. The continents are the walnut itself, left standing while the ground is cut away, and the resin is sanded flush and polished once it has set. 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.