Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Coat of Arms of Russia

Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Coat of Arms of Russia, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The eagle of the state, in a frame of its own. In the round rope-ringed frame on the cover of this classic square board, master Hrachya Ohanyan carved the coat of arms of the Russian Federation in deep relief — the double-headed eagle with both wings raised, feathers cut one by one, the three crowns above it joined by a ribbon, the sceptre and the orb in its talons, and on its breast the shield with St George spearing the dragon. The ground behind it is stippled so the eagle stands off it in real depth. Around the frame runs a field of fine carved lattice between lobed panels inside a beaded border, the edges are stepped, and the whole board is stained a deep honey brown. A handmade wooden backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of beech at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm — the emblem exactly as it hangs over the door of every Russian consulate, in wood you can touch.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens on a carved wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of 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 handmade backgammon board for the office with the flag in the corner, the veteran's kitchen table and the friend who has played nardy in every courtyard from Rostov to Vladivostok.

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
• Motif: the coat of arms of the Russian Federation — the double-headed eagle with three crowns, sceptre, orb and the St George shield — carved in deep relief inside a round rope-ringed frame on a stippled ground; 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

• Eagle in real relief: the double-headed eagle, the crowns, the sceptre and the orb 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.
• The frame does half the work: rope ring, stippled ground, lobed lattice panels, a beaded border and stepped edges — the classic composition, carved, not printed.
• 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 carving real? Yes. The eagle, the lattice, the rope and beaded borders and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed. The honey colour is a stain in the wood under the varnish.

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.

Byzantium's Bird, Moscow's Seal

The double-headed eagle arrived in Moscow in the 1490s on the seal of Ivan III, who had married Sophia Palaiologina, niece of the last emperor of Constantinople, and it has faced east and west at once ever since. The three crowns were once Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia; today they are read as the unity of the state. The sceptre is power, the orb is law, and the horseman on the breast is St George, patron of Moscow, with the dragon under his lance. Restored as the arms of Russia in 1993, the eagle has hung over every embassy door since. Carved in relief on a nardy board it does the same job on a smaller scale: it tells you whose table this is.

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 jubilee, a promotion, a retirement from the service, a business partner in St Petersburg or the friend who plays nardy every Saturday in the courtyard, a hand-carved wooden backgammon set with the double-headed eagle on the cover is the backgammon gift set that needs no card. We send it at New Year and for 23 February. It gets opened, played and passed on.