Luxury Deer Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline

Luxury Deer Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

A stag and a doe lying in the grass, two trees, four songbirds on branches of dark-red blossom — all in deep relief under Ararat's twin peaks. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ luxury wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, Ararat outline. Handmade in beech, with 32 checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the hunting lodge, the nature lover's study, and the player who wants a whole scene on the lid. The stag stands in the meadow with his head turned, antlers spread, every tine carved; the doe lies in the long grass beside him, ears up. Two round-headed trees close the left, ferns and grass roll along the foot, and songbirds perch in the flowering branches that frame both sides, each blossom stained dark red against the honey wood.

Inside, the field is walnut brown with lattice-filled points tipped in fleur-de-lys, a petal wheel in a scrolled ring cut into each half and an ornate cast hinge on the bar; the birds and blossom run round onto the back panels. For the lodge table, the sixtieth birthday, and the player who wants a meadow on the lid and Ararat on the rim.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained walnut brown and varnished, the relief left honey-toned, the blossom tinted dark red
• Carving: a stag and a doe in a meadow with two trees, ferns and grass, four songbirds on flowering branches, in deep relief (front); birds and blossom carried round onto the side panels of the back; Mount Ararat's snow-capped twin peaks carved into the top rim; petal wheels in scrolled rings and lattice-filled points inside
• Outline: Ararat — the twin peaks of the mountain carved into the top edge of the board
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Hand-carved backgammon board
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• A whole scene, not a motif: stag, doe, trees, four songbirds and the blossom are carved in deep relief, so antlers and wings stand off the ground and catch the light.
• One colour, well placed: the blossom is tinted dark red and nothing else is, so the flowers glow against the honey-toned relief and the walnut-brown field.
• 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

Is the red on the flowers paint? Yes — the blossoms are tinted a deep red before the varnish goes on, and that is the only colour on the board. Everything else is the beech itself, stained walnut brown with the relief left lighter. The deer, the birds, the trees and the peaks on the rim are carved from the board, not applied, and the checkers glide on the varnished field.

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.