Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Eternity Sign, Contour Outline

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Eternity Sign, Contour Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The sign that never stops turning. In the round rope-ringed frame on the cover, master Hrachya Ohanyan carved the Armenian eternity sign in deep relief — a whirl of curved blades spinning out from the centre, each one scooped and rounded so the light rolls across them, the whole wheel standing well off a stippled ground. Around the frame runs a field of fine carved lattice between lobed panels inside a beaded border, and the whole board is cut in a contour outline: scalloped sides that curve in and out, a cusped top edge, stepped rims under your hand. A handmade Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of beech at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm, stained a warm honey brown — the oldest Armenian symbol there is, at the size it deserves.

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 family that puts an eternity sign on everything, the wedding table and the grandfather who plays nardi the way the sign turns — without stopping.

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 Armenian eternity sign (arevakhach) 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: contour — scalloped sides and a cusped top edge, with carved stepped rims
• 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

• Eternity in real relief: every blade of the sign is carved by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop and scooped deep — run a finger across it and the wheel rises and falls under your hand, and no two boards come out the same.
• Contour outline: the board is not a box — its scalloped, cusped silhouette is cut into the wood itself, so closed on a shelf it reads as a carving before it reads as a game.
• 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 eternity sign, the lattice, the rope and beaded borders, the contour edges 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.

Arevakhach

The Armenian eternity sign — arevakhach, the sun-cross — is older than the alphabet. It turns on the walls of Bronze Age tombs, on the khachkars of the middle ages and on the gable of every village church, and it means what a wheel means: life going round, the sun coming back, nothing ending. Carvers set the blades leaning, so the eye follows them round and never finds a place to rest. Master Ohanyan carves it deep and large, scooping each blade so the shadows spin with the light. On a nardi board it is the most Armenian thing you can put on a table without saying a word.

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 wedding, a new home, a birth, a christening or the friend who wears the sign on a ring, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with the eternity sign on the cover is the backgammon gift set that says what the sign says. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.