Luxury Etchmiadzin Cathedral Walnut Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline

Luxury Etchmiadzin Cathedral Walnut Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

Etchmiadzin Cathedral in deep relief — belfry, drum and pointed dome, block walls, trees either side — on a smooth walnut panel framed in carved basket weave, Ararat's peaks rising over it. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ luxury Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, Ararat outline. Handmade in walnut and hornbeam, 32 checkers, dice, branded case.

This is the board for the church hall's raffle, the bishop's jubilee, and the player who wants the cathedral and the mountain on one lid. The building is cut course by course — the belfry in front, the great drum behind, a side dome, the arched door, trees either side as tiny leaves — and its panel sits in a lobed cartouche with a rope-and-bead ring. Around it the whole lid is carved basket weave, strand over strand, running out to curled corners and up to Ararat's snow ridges.

Inside, the points are pale hornbeam let into the walnut, a petal wheel sits on a pale disc in a scrolled ring on each half, a stamped brass hinge holds the bar, and the back carries a chequerboard of carved quatrefoil squares between two eternity whirls raised in full relief. For the fortieth, the Etchmiadzin pilgrimage, and the player who wants the Mother See in gloss walnut.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: walnut wood, natural colour, varnished; hornbeam inlay inside
• Carving: Etchmiadzin Cathedral in deep relief — belfry, main drum with pointed dome, side dome, block walls, arched door and trees either side — on a smooth walnut panel in a lobed cartouche with a rope-and-bead ring; carved basket weave over the rest of the lid with rope-and-bead borders and carved scroll corners; the twin peaks of Mount Ararat with snow ridges carved on the top edge; back cover with a chequerboard of carved quatrefoil squares between two eternity whirls in full relief on star-stippled ovals, basket weave around; pale hornbeam points and petal-wheel discs inlaid inside
• Outline: Ararat — the twin peaks of Mount Ararat along the top edge, over a scrolled body with curled corners
• Hardware: brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark, cast-bronze clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Hand-carved walnut backgammon board with hornbeam inlay, carved on both covers
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• The cathedral under the mountain: Etchmiadzin stands in deep relief on a smooth panel and Ararat's twin peaks are carved into the rim above it — the two great symbols of Armenia on one lid.
• Basket weave, not lattice: the ground around the cartouche is carved strand over strand, so the lid has real depth under the hand and the gloss varnish catches every ridge.
• Make it theirs: add a name or a date at checkout to mark a birthday, a retirement or years of games together.

Good to Know Before You Buy

What is on the back cover? Two eternity whirls raised in full relief on star-stippled ovals, a chequerboard of carved quatrefoil squares between them, and basket weave to the rim — the back is carved as fully as the front. The cathedral is cut in deep relief into walnut, the pale points inside are hornbeam let into the wood, and the board is varnished to a gloss. Nothing is printed or applied.

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 policy.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators. Wipe with a dry, soft cloth and store it closed in its carrying case.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine woodcraft in 1985 and founded his workshop in Yerevan in 2010. This board belongs to his collection of wooden backgammon sets, each one made by hand by the craftspeople of that workshop. Read Hrachya Ohanyan's story or explore the full backgammon collection.

Also known as nardi (нарды), nardy, tavla or shesh besh.