Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Hayastan Khor Virap, Classic Outline, Medium

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Hayastan Khor Virap, Classic Outline, Medium, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The country's name on the lid, and the country behind it. On this 19.6″ / 50 cm classic board the word ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ — Hayastan — runs across the front in pale ornamental letters set into golden-brown beech, with a vine scroll curling at one end and an eternity whirl at the other. Behind the letters master Hrachya Ohanyan drew Khor Virap in fine line work — the long wall with its battlements, the church tower with its pointed roof, the rock it all stands on — and above it the two peaks of Ararat, snow caps picked out in pale wood. The ground is textured by hand, the border is rope and beads, the outline is straight and classic. A handmade Armenian backgammon set from a single piece of wood, one size below the full 60 cm — the one that fits the small kitchen table and the suitcase to Yerevan.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 19.6″ / 50 cm wooden backgammon board opens on a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, points in pale and dark wood with fleur-de-lys tips, a carved scalloped frame round the field and an ornate 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 student flat, the first apartment after the wedding, and the aunt who wants a smaller board with the whole of Armenia on it.

Specifications

• Size open: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Size folded: 50 × 25 cm / 19.6″ × 9.8″
• Material: beech wood, made from one piece, stained golden brown and varnished
• Motif: the word Hayastan (Armenia) in ornamental Armenian letters in pale wood, Khor Virap monastery on its rock and the twin peaks of Ararat in fine line work with pale-wood snow caps, a vine scroll and an eternity whirl; hand-textured ground with rope-and-bead borders; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: classic, square, with carved rope-and-bead borders
• 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

• Armenia in one lid: the name, the monastery and the mountain — the view from the road south of Yerevan — worked into beech by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, letters and snow in pale wood so they read from across the room.
• The right size for a small table: 19.6″ / 50 cm open, half that closed — a full game with all thirty-two checkers, in a board that fits a bookshelf, a suitcase or a café table.
• Ready for the table: 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 19.6″ / 50 cm square — one step below the full 60 cm size, and the right choice for a smaller table. Closed, it is 19.6″ × 9.8″ / 50 × 25 cm and stands on its own edge.

Is the carving real? Yes. The rope-and-bead borders, the textured ground and the scalloped frame inside are cut into the beech by hand. The monastery, its walls and the slopes of Ararat are drawn in fine line work into the wood, and the letters of ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ and the snow caps are worked into the surface in pale wood against the golden stain. Nothing is printed. The 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.

Thirteen Years in the Pit

Khor Virap means deep pit. In the third century King Tiridates threw a Christian named Gregory into a dungeon on this rock and left him there for thirteen years — a widow, the story says, lowered bread to him every day. When the king fell ill and nothing helped, his sister dreamt that only Gregory could cure him; he was hauled out, the king recovered, and in 301 Armenia became the first country to make Christianity its faith. The pit is still there under the chapel, reached by a ladder, and Ararat stands over it the way it stands over this board. Write Hayastan underneath and you have the whole story of how the land of Hayk became the Armenia of the churches.

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 niece's first flat, a christening, a colleague who has just discovered nardi or a mother who keeps the old country on the windowsill, a 50 cm Armenian backgammon set with Hayastan and Khor Virap on the lid is the backgammon gift set that fits the shelf and says everything. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and at Easter. It gets opened, played and passed on.