Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Coat of Arms of Armenia, Ararat Outline

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Coat of Arms of Armenia, Ararat Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The state on the shield, the mountain as the board. Inside a round rope ring on the front cover, the coat of arms of Armenia is carved in deep relief — the eagle and the lion holding the shield between them, the four dynasties in its quarters, Ararat and the ark at its heart, the sword, chain, wheat, quill and ribbon below — every feather and every link of the chain standing up out of a finely stippled ground. Around the ring master Hrachya Ohanyan cut a field of diamond lattice between pointed-arch panels, and shaped the top of the board into the twin peaks of Ararat with their summits left in the bare pale beech. Stained honey brown under clear varnish: a handmade Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of wood at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens on a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, points in pale and dark wood tipped with fleur-de-lys, a carved scalloped frame round the field and an ornate hinge on the centre bar. Turn it over and the back cover carries two eternity whirls in carved lattice panels. 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 reception room, the office of someone who came home to build something, and the family that stands up for the anthem.

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 honey brown and varnished; the Ararat summits left in bare pale wood
• Motif: the coat of arms of Armenia — eagle, lion, shield of the four dynasties, Ararat with the ark, sword, chain, wheat, quill and ribbon — hand-carved in deep relief inside a round rope ring on a stippled ground; carved diamond lattice field between pointed-arch panels; two eternity whirls on the back cover; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: Mount Ararat — the twin peaks carved in relief along the top, with scrolled corners
• 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

• Heraldry with real depth: the eagle's feathers, the lion's mane and the links of the chain are cut down into the beech by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop — an emblem you can read with your fingertips.
• The mountain on the shield and in the board: Ararat is carved at the heart of the arms and again as the shape of the lid itself — closed, the board stands on its edge with the pale summits up.
• 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 — all of it. The coat of arms, the rope ring, the lattice field, the arch panels, the peaks of Ararat along the top and the eternity whirls on the back are cut into the beech by hand in relief; the wheel ornaments and the points inside are worked into the wood. Nothing is printed or pressed. The honey colour is a stain in the wood under the varnish, and the pale summits are the bare beech left unstained.

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.

Reading the Arms

The coat of arms of Armenia was drawn in 1918 for the first republic by the painter Hakob Kojoyan and the architect Alexander Tamanian — the man who laid out modern Yerevan — and brought back in 1992 when the country was independent again. The eagle and the lion held the arms of the Artaxiad and Arsacid kings; the four quarters of the shield belong to the four dynasties, Bagratuni, Arsacid, Artaxiad and Rubenid, and Ararat with the ark sits in the middle. Below them the sword for strength, the broken chain for freedom, the wheat for work, the quill for culture and the ribbon in the colours of the flag. On a nardi board it is read one piece at a time, between throws, by people who already know it by heart.

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 new citizen, a diplomat's farewell, a father's sixtieth or a business that wants the arms on the table rather than the wall, an Armenian backgammon set with the coat of arms carved in deep relief on a board shaped like Ararat is the backgammon gift set with the country in it. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September — Independence Day — and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.