Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Garni Temple in Dark Wood

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Garni Temple in Dark Wood, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Garni, from the corner, in dark wood. Inside a round frame ringed with rope and beads at the centre of the cover, master Hrachya Ohanyan carved the temple of Garni the way you first see it from the path — the pediment, the front and the side colonnades, the high podium, the flight of steps and the paved forecourt — all standing in relief off a finely stippled ground, and below the steps a small carved plaque spells its name, ԳԱՌՆԻ, in Armenian letters. Around the frame runs a field of fine carved lattice between lobed panels edged in rope and beads, inside a wide carved border with stepped rims, and the whole board is stained a deep walnut brown, so every edge of the carving catches the light and every hollow keeps the shadow. A handmade Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of beech at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm — the classic straight board, with the oldest building in Armenia on the lid.

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 study with the leather chair, the office that wants one Armenian thing on the shelf that is not a flag, and the friend who thinks pale wood belongs in kitchens.

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 deep walnut brown and varnished
• Motif: the temple of Garni carved in relief from the corner — pediment, colonnades, podium and steps on a stippled ground — with a carved ԳԱՌՆԻ name plaque, inside a round rope-and-bead frame; carved lattice field, lobed panels with rope-and-bead edges, wide carved border; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: classic, with carved stepped edges
• 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

• Every column, in shadow and light: the front and the side colonnades, the steps and the paving are cut in relief by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, and the dark stain makes each edge read from across the room — and no two boards come out the same.
• Signed with its own name: a carved plaque under the steps says ԳԱՌՆԻ — Garni — in Armenian letters, so the board says where it comes from before anyone asks.
• 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 temple, the name plaque and the stippled ground beneath them, the lattice, the rope and beaded borders 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.

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.

The Temple of Garni

A Greek inscription dug up at Garni begins with a call to the sun — Helios! — and goes on to record that Tiridates the Great, king of Greater Armenia, built there in the eleventh year of his reign, which puts the temple at about the year 77. It stands on a spur above the Azat gorge, twenty-four Ionic columns on a high podium, most likely raised to Mihr, the sun god, and it is the only Greco-Roman temple left standing anywhere in the old Soviet lands. When Armenia turned Christian in 301 it was spared and kept as a royal summer house; the earthquake of 1679 brought it down, and between 1969 and 1975 its blocks were lifted out of the grass and put back. Master Ohanyan carves it from the corner, in dark wood, with its name under the steps. On a nardi board it is the country before the cross, closed, on a shelf.

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 study, an office opening, a fortieth birthday or the friend who likes his wood dark and his history old, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with the temple of Garni on the lid is the backgammon gift set that looks older than it is, in the best way. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.