Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Garni Temple in Honey Beech

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Garni Temple in Honey Beech, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Garni, from the corner, with its name. 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, the rims are stepped, and the whole board is stained a pale honey gold — the lightest of the Garni boards, with the grain of the beech showing through. 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 a young family's first proper set, the teacher who took the whole class to Garni, and the friend abroad who wants the name spelled in the alphabet they learned on Saturday mornings.

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 pale honey gold 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 edges; 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

• The temple, corner on: the front and the side colonnades, the steps and the paving are all cut in relief by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop — the view every visitor gets from the path, and no two boards come out the same.
• Its name, in its own letters: a carved plaque under the steps says ԳԱՌՆԻ — Garni — in Armenian, so the board tells you 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 borders 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.

The Temple of Garni

The temple stands on a spur of rock above the Azat gorge, where the river has cut the basalt into the tall stone organ-pipes Armenians call the Symphony of Stones. King Tiridates I built it in the first century, most likely for Mihr, the sun god, and when the country turned Christian in 301 it was kept as a royal summer house while the other temples were pulled down. Next to it the bathhouse floor still carries a mosaic of the sea with a wry Greek line — we worked without receiving anything. The earthquake of 1679 threw the temple down, and between 1969 and 1975 its blocks were lifted out of the grass and put back. Master Ohanyan carves it from the corner and signs it with its own name. 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 housewarming, a graduation, a Saturday-school teacher or the friend abroad who wants the name in Armenian letters on the table, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with the temple of Garni on the lid is the backgammon gift set that says where home is. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.