St. Gayane Church Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline

St. Gayane Church Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

Ararat's two peaks rise out of the top edge, and beneath them St. Gayane Church sits on a pale disc, drawn block by block, its name in Armenian below. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, Ararat outline. Handmade in beech, with 32 checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the Etchmiadzin family, the godparents' gift and the player who wants the mountain in the wood, not on it. The peaks are carved into the rim itself, pale at the summits; the church below is line work on bare beech — the arched gavit in front, gable and drum behind, the flagged yard running towards you, and Գայանե in a small dark cartouche. Around the disc the cover is a fine lattice of dotted cells in lobed panels, ringed and edged with rope and bead.

Inside, a walnut-brown field with pale drop-tipped points, a petal wheel in a scrolled ring on each half and an ornate cast hinge; the back cover carries an eternity whirl in line work at either end. For the christening table, the Yerevan flat that misses Etchmiadzin, and the player who wants the Armenian church and the Armenian mountain in one lid.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained walnut brown and varnished, the disc left pale
• Carving: St. Gayane Church with its Armenian name in line work on a smooth pale disc inside a rope-and-bead ring; Mount Ararat's twin peaks carved into the top rim; fine dotted lattice in lobed panels; rope-and-bead borders; two eternity whirls in line work on the back
• 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
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• The mountain is the shape: Ararat is not a picture on the lid but the outline of the board — the two summits stand up from the top edge, pale-tipped.
• A church you can read: the gavit's three arches, the drum, the dome and the courtyard flags are drawn block by block, and the name is there in Armenian.
• 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? The church is line work — drawn into the smooth pale disc as fine dark lines, flat, so every arch and block stays crisp. The carving proper is the board itself: Ararat's peaks are cut into the top rim, and the dotted lattice, rope-and-bead rings and borders are cut into the lid. Stain and varnish come last; 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.