Wooden Backgammon Set - Coat of Arms of Argentina in Two Tones

Wooden Backgammon Set - Coat of Arms of Argentina in Two Tones, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The Sun of May, rising in pale wood. In the round rope-ringed frame on the cover, the coat of arms of Argentina stands out in light beech against a deep stippled ground: the sun with its face and rays at the crest, the two clasped hands holding the pike with the Phrygian cap, the laurel wreath closing round the oval and tied at the foot — every line worked into the wood so the emblem reads as clean as a stamp on paper. Around the frame master Hrachya Ohanyan carved a field of fine lattice between lobed panels inside a beaded border, kept the outline classic and square and stained the wood a warm dark honey. A handmade wooden backgammon set from a single piece of wood, 23.6″ / 60 cm, for the house where the mate gourd goes round after dinner and the board comes out straight after.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 23.6″ / 60 cm wooden backgammon board opens on a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring worked into each half, pale points tipped with fleur-de-lys flourishes and ornate bronze hinges on the centre bar. Thirty-two checkers in light and dark wood, a dice set and the branded carrying case come with it. This is the handmade backgammon board for the porteño living room, the club in Palermo, and the Armenian family in Buenos Aires that keeps both flags on the shelf.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, made from one piece, stained dark honey and varnished
• Motif: the coat of arms of Argentina — Sun of May, clasped hands on a pike with the Phrygian cap, laurel wreath — worked in pale wood on a dark stippled ground inside a round rope-ringed frame (two-tone); carved lattice field, lobed panels, beaded border; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: classic, with carved stepped edges
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Backgammon board with bronze hinges and clasps
• 32 checkers made from beech and walnut wood, with velvet bases
• Dice set
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• Two tones, one emblem: the pale sun, hands and laurel stand out against the dark ground like a seal — worked into the wood in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, and no two boards come out the same.
• Carving around it: the lattice field, the rope ring, the lobed panels and the beaded border are all cut by hand — run a finger over the cover and it changes texture four times.
• Ready for the table: full-size 23.6″ / 60 cm board, checkers in light and dark wood, dice and a carrying case — open it and play.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How big is it? Open, the board is 23.6″ / 60 cm square — the standard full size for a living-room table. Closed, it is 23.6″ × 11.8″ / 60 × 30 cm and stands on its own edge.

Is the emblem printed? No. The coat of arms is pale beech worked into the dark ground and finished under the varnish — it will not peel or fade. The lattice field, the rope and beaded borders and the wheel ornaments inside are cut into the wood by hand.

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.

Can I add a name or a date? Yes — choose the engraving option on this page and tell us the text. A name or a date turns it into a personalized backgammon set, and it is the detail people remember years later.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sun and away from radiators, wipe with a dry soft cloth, and store it closed in the case.

The Sun of May

Argentina's arms date from 1813, the year the Assembly in Buenos Aires needed a seal and chose an oval of sky-blue and white — the colours of the flag — with two hands clasped around a pike bearing the red cap of liberty, a laurel wreath for victory, and above it all the Sun of May, the sun that broke through the clouds over the Plaza on 25 May 1810. In two-tone wood the colours go, but the shapes stay exactly as every Argentine learned them at school. Carved on a nardi board it makes a quiet, permanent flag for the table.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

In 1985, National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine wood craft, introducing a new approach to the age-old traditions of woodworking. After many years of dedication, the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop was established in 2010. Every board passes through 14 stages of production, with 14 separate craftsmen leaving their mark before it reaches its finished form — a piece of wood artistry admired both in Armenia and around the world. Read the story of master Hrachya Ohanyan or explore the full Hrachya Ohanyan backgammon collection.

A Gift That Lasts Generations

For a birthday in Buenos Aires, a 9 July table, the grandfather who still calls it tablas reales, or the friend who swears the best asado is at his place, a handmade wooden backgammon set with the coat of arms of Argentina on the cover is the backgammon gift set that arrives already at home. We send it at Christmas, on Father's Day and to Argentines far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.