Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Eternity, Ararat Outline

Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Eternity, Ararat Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Two Armenian signs, one board — and one of them is the board itself. The top edge is carved into the silhouette of Mount Ararat, the two peaks rising from the lid with their snow left in pale, unstained wood. Below them, in a deep round dish ringed with a beaded border, turns the eternity sign — the arevakhach, its eight curved blades cut so deep they hold their own shadow — set inside a lobed panel of fine lattice with fish-scale texture around the edges. Master Hrachya Ohanyan stained the beech a rich dark brown and left the mountain white. A luxury Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of wood, unmistakable from across the room.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and a full 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens up: a carved wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, pale points tipped with carved fleur-de-lys flourishes, and the deep grain of the board running through it all. 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 house that keeps Ararat on the wall — and now on the table too.

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 dark and varnished
• Motif: the Armenian eternity sign (arevakhach) carved deep in a round beaded dish; lobed lattice panel, fish-scale ground, carved wheel ornaments inside
• Outline: Mount Ararat silhouette — the two peaks carved 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 — closed on a shelf, it reads as sculpture before it reads as a game.
• Eternity carved deep: the wheel sits in a real dish, cut by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop — run a finger round it and you feel every blade, and no two boards come out the same.
• 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, peaks up.

Is the carving real? Yes. The eternity sign, the lattice, the fish-scale ground, the mountain edge and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed. The dark colour is a stain in the wood under the varnish, 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 Eternity Sign

Two things every Armenian recognises at a glance. Ararat, the mountain in full view of Yerevan and out of reach, is the shape the whole country measures itself against. The eternity sign — arevakhach, the sun cross — has turned on khachkars and church walls since the Middle Ages and stands for life that does not end. Put one inside the other, and a nardi board makes the oldest possible promise over the oldest possible game: this goes on.

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 or the parents who taught everyone to play, a hand-carved luxury Armenian backgammon set shaped like Ararat with the eternity sign on the cover is the backgammon gift set that carries its own blessing. We send it at Christmas, on Father's Day and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.