Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Coat of Arms on Ararat

Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Coat of Arms on Ararat, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The arms of Armenia on the mountain of Armenia. The top edge of this board is carved into the silhouette of Ararat, the two peaks rising from the lid with their snow left in pale, unstained wood — and in the centre, inside a round rope-edged frame, the eagle and the lion hold the shield with Ararat between them, carved in deep relief on a stippled ground, every feather and every curl of the mane standing clear. Around the frame master Hrachya Ohanyan cut the whole cover in fish-scale texture, with lobed lattice panels and beaded borders, and stained the beech a rich dark brown. A luxury Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of wood — the country's emblem, the country's mountain, one lid.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and a full 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens up: a carved wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, pale points tipped with carved fleur-de-lys flourishes, a small metal maker's plaque on the centre bar, and the deep grain of the board running through it all. 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 embassy, the community hall and the family that stands up when the anthem plays — and sits down to nardi straight after.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, carved from one piece, stained dark and varnished
• Motif: the coat of arms of Armenia carved in deep relief inside a round rope-edged frame; fish-scale ground, lobed lattice panels, beaded borders, carved wheel ornaments inside
• Outline: Mount Ararat silhouette — the two peaks carved into the top edge with pale snow
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Handmade in Armenia 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

• The board is the mountain: the Ararat outline is cut into the wood itself, snow and all — closed on a shelf, it reads as sculpture before it reads as a game.
• Arms in real relief: the eagle, the lion, the shield and the ribbon are carved by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop and stand well off the ground — run a finger over a wing and you feel every feather, and no two boards come out the same.
• 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, peaks up.

Is the carving real? Yes. The coat of arms, the fish-scale ground, the lattice, the mountain edge and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed. The dark colour is a stain in the wood under the varnish, and the snow on the peaks is the beech left bare.

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 Coat of Arms

The arms of Armenia, adopted in 1992 from the design of the first republic of 1918, put an eagle and a lion either side of a shield: Ararat with Noah's ark at its centre, and around it the emblems of the four dynasties that ruled Armenia — Artaxiad, Arsacid, Bagratuni and Rubenid. Beneath the shield lie a sword, a broken chain, a sheaf of wheat, a quill and a ribbon. Carved on a board shaped like the mountain itself, it says exactly who is playing — and where their thoughts go when the game is over.

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 veteran, a diaspora club, an Independence Day birthday or the father who taught everyone the anthem before the game, a hand-carved luxury Armenian backgammon set with the coat of arms on a board shaped like Ararat is the backgammon gift set that needs no card. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.