Luxury Gagripsh and Abkhazia Walnut Backgammon Set, Two-Sided, Large

Luxury Gagripsh and Abkhazia Walnut Backgammon Set, Two-Sided, Large by Hrachya Ohanyan

The Gagripsh restaurant, clock in its gable, between palm trees carved frond by frond on one cover; the mountains of Abkhazia in relief on the other. This is the 70 cm / 27.6″ luxury wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline, two-sided. Handmade in walnut and hornbeam, 32 checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the family from Gagra, the Abkhazian abroad who still walks the seafront in their head, and the player who wants a picture on each cover. The restaurant is cut as it stands: the clock in the gable, the balcony rails, the arched stone steps and cobbles in front, a street lamp with three lanterns beside it, and palms rising past the roofline on both sides, every frond its own curl of walnut. Nothing is stained; the light and shade are the depth of the cut.

On the back, the mountains of Abkhazia, bare peaks over slopes stippled like scrub. Inside, pale hornbeam points with cusped tips are let into the walnut, a hornbeam petal wheel in a ring of scrolls on each half, and a brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark on the bar. For the Gagra house, the family abroad, and the player who wants two landscapes and never a plain side.

Specifications

• Size open: 70 × 70 cm / 27.6″ × 27.6″
• Size folded: 70 × 35 cm / 27.6″ × 13.8″
• Material: walnut wood, natural colour, finished with natural beeswax; hornbeam inlay inside
• Carving: the Gagripsh restaurant of Gagra — gable with clock, balcony, arched stone steps, cobbled forecourt and a three-lantern street lamp — in deep relief between palm trees on the front cover; the mountains of Abkhazia in relief, bare peaks over stippled wooded slopes, on the back cover; pale hornbeam points and petal wheels in scroll rings inlaid inside
• Outline: Classic — straight edges and square corners
• Hardware: brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark, cast-bronze clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Hand-carved backgammon board, 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

• Two scenes, no plain side: the restaurant among its palms on one cover and the mountain range on the other, so whichever way the board lies on the table there is a landscape on top.
• Carved, not drawn: the palm fronds stand off the ground and curl over, the clock and balcony rails are cut back into the wall, the peaks cast their own shadow — the picture is made of depth, not stain.
• 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 Gagripsh? A wooden restaurant on the seafront of Gagra, on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia, brought there in pieces from Scandinavia in 1902 and known for the clock in its gable — the town's best-known building. Here it is carved in relief into the walnut with the palms of the seafront either side; the back of the board carries the mountains of Abkhazia. The pale points inside are hornbeam let into the walnut, and the surface is finished with natural beeswax. 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.