Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Ararat Outline, Medium

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Ararat Outline, Medium, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The mother church, cut deep. The top edge of this board is cut into the two peaks of Ararat with the snow left in pale bare wood, and below them, in a round rope-ringed frame, master Hrachya Ohanyan carved the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin in deep relief — the central dome on its drum, the bell tower over the porch, the arcaded walls with every course of stone cut separately — standing clear of a stippled ground, with a plaque beneath lettered ԷՋՄԻԱԾԻՆ. Around the frame runs a field of fine carved lattice between lobed panels inside a beaded border, the sides curve in and out, and the whole board is stained a warm honey brown. A handmade Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of beech at 19.6″ / 50 cm — the two things every Armenian carries in the mind, on one lid.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 19.6″ / 50 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 priest's study, the family that was married at Etchmiadzin and the diaspora house with the cathedral photo in the hall.

Specifications

• Size open: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Size folded: 50 × 25 cm / 19.6″ × 9.8″
• Material: beech wood, carved from one piece, stained honey brown and varnished
• Motif: the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin carved in deep relief inside a round rope-ringed frame on a stippled ground, with a name plaque beneath; 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, scalloped sides
• 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

• Cathedral in real relief: domes, drum, arcades and stonework are carved by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop and stand well off the ground — run a finger over the walls and you feel the courses of stone, and no two boards come out the same.
• 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.
• Ready for the table: 19.6″ / 50 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 19.6″ / 50 cm square — one step below the full 60 cm size, and the right choice for a smaller table. Closed, it is 19.6″ × 9.8″ / 50 × 25 cm and stands on its own edge, peaks up.

Is the carving real? Yes. The cathedral, the plaque, the lattice, the rope and beaded borders, the mountain edge and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed. The snow on the peaks is the beech left bare, and 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.

Etchmiadzin

Etchmiadzin is the oldest cathedral in the world that is still in use. St Gregory the Illuminator raised it in 301–303, on the spot where — the story goes — Christ came down and struck the ground with a golden hammer; the name means 'the Only-Begotten descended'. It is the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the church that every Armenian church looks to, and it stands in the Ararat plain with the mountain filling the sky behind it. Master Ohanyan carves it in relief under the two peaks, the way you actually see them from the road out of Yerevan. On a nardi board it is the calm end of the table.

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 christening, a godparent, a wedding blessed at Etchmiadzin, an Easter table or the friend far from home who still crosses himself when he passes a church, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with the cathedral under Ararat is the backgammon gift set that needs no card. We send it at Christmas, at Easter and on 21 September. It gets opened, played and passed on.