Luxurious Armenian Chess Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline

Luxurious Armenian Chess Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline

The mountain is not painted on this board or printed across it. It is carried as an outline — the twin-peaked silhouette every Armenian could draw from memory, cut into the wood and running as part of the design rather than sitting on top of it. That restraint is what makes it work. You notice the shape a moment after you notice the board, which is exactly the right order.

Underneath it is a genuine chess backgammon set: chess hand-carved into the outer face, a full backgammon field within, checkers and dice included and a protective case around the lot. A 23.6" / 60 cm playing field, which is the size that lets a real game breathe — wide squares, no crowding, and enough presence that the board holds a table on its own.

Every model from this workshop passes through fourteen separate stages and as much as two hundred days of work, a different craftsman at each one. On a design this spare there is nowhere for a mistake to hide, which is precisely why it takes that long.

What's Included

• Hand-carved 2-in-1 board — chess on top, backgammon inside
• Full set of chess pieces
• Backgammon checkers and dice
• Protective case

Specifications

• Board: 23.6 x 23.6" / 60 x 60 cm
• Material: solid natural wood
• Mount Ararat outline
• Made in Armenia by Hrachya Ohanyan

Why You'll Love It

• The Ararat silhouette carried in the carving, not applied to it
• Two games in one board: chess outside, backgammon within
• Full 23.6" / 60 cm field with room for a long game
• Made by the workshop of National Master Hrachya Ohanyan

The Mountain on the Board

Ararat has been painted, sung and carved by Armenian masters for as long as there has been anyone to do it — Noah's mountain, on the skyline of Yerevan and on the far side of a border since 1921. Carrying its outline turns an ordinary evening's game into something quietly connected to all of that. For anyone in the diaspora, it is the shape that means home without a word being said.

About the Master — Hrachya Ohanyan

In 1985 National Master Ohanyan began his fine wood craft, bringing a new approach to a very old tradition. After years of that work the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop was established in 2010, making Armenian, classic and original models from high-quality raw material — each set a piece of work admired at home and well beyond it.

Fourteen Stages, Up to Two Hundred Days

Every model passes through fourteen distinct phases of production. Fourteen separate craftsmen leave their mark on one piece of wood before it reaches its finished form.

A Gift Worth Giving

Two games, one board, and the mountain on the front. For a wedding, a milestone, or a family abroad who would rather be given something from home than something expensive.