Armenian Travel Backgammon Set - Coat of Arms, Ararat Outline, 30 cm

Armenian Travel Backgammon Set - Coat of Arms, Ararat Outline, 30 cm, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Ararat in the hand luggage. The top edge of this small board is cut into the two peaks of the mountain, snow left in pale bare wood, and below them the coat of arms of Armenia stands out in pale beech on a dark stippled ground inside a round rope-ringed frame — the eagle and the lion, the shield, the four dynasties, the sword, chain, wheat and ribbon, every line worked into the wood so it reads crisp at this size. Master Hrachya Ohanyan surrounded the frame with fine carved lattice between lobed panels inside a beaded border and stained the wood a deep honey brown. A handmade Armenian travel backgammon set from a single piece of wood, 11.8″ / 30 cm — the mountain and the emblem, in a board that fits in a bag.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 11.8″ / 30 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 an ornate bronze hinge 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 portable backgammon set for the picnic by Lake Sevan, the long flight home and the student who wants Ararat on the desk in a room that has no window for it.

Specifications

• Size open: 30 × 30 cm / 11.8″ × 11.8″
• Size folded: 30 × 15 cm / 11.8″ × 5.9″
• Material: beech wood, made from one piece, stained honey brown and varnished
• Motif: the coat of arms of Armenia 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: Mount Ararat silhouette — the two peaks cut 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 — even at 11.8″ / 30 cm it reads as sculpture before it reads as a game.
• Two tones, one emblem: the pale eagle, lion and shield 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.
• Ready anywhere: board, checkers in light and dark wood, dice and a carrying case — open it on a train table and play.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How big is it? Open, the board is 11.8″ / 30 cm square — the travel size. Closed, it is 11.8″ × 5.9″ / 30 × 15 cm and slips into a bag, peaks up.

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, the mountain edge and the wheel ornaments inside are cut into the wood by hand, 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.

Ararat and the Coat of Arms

The mountain is on the emblem, and the emblem is on the mountain. Armenia's arms — adopted in 1992 from the design of 1918 — put Ararat and Noah's ark at the centre of the shield between the eagle and the lion, with the four royal dynasties in the quarters and the sword, chain, wheat, quill and ribbon below. Cut the board itself in the shape of Ararat and the symbol closes its own circle. On a travel nardi board that circle goes wherever you do.

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 Travels Well

For a student leaving for university, a soldier's send-off, a birthday in the diaspora or the friend who plays nardi on every beach in the world, a handmade Armenian travel backgammon set with the coat of arms on a board shaped like Ararat is the backgammon gift set that goes in the hand luggage. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.