Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Mercedes-Benz Star

Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Mercedes-Benz Star, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The three-pointed star, the laurel sprigs and the words MERCEDES and BENZ sit in pale wood on a dark, finely textured ground, inside a hand-carved rope-and-bead ring on a lobed cartouche — the emblem exactly as it has looked since 1926. Around it master Hrachya Ohanyan carves a diamond lattice over the whole lid, frames it in rope and gives the classic square outline a moulded rim; on the back cover an eternity whirl spins in a stippled oval. A hand-carved wooden backgammon set at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm, for the one with the star on the key ring.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the emblem is there again at the heart of each half, in pale wood with its laurels, between points in pale and dark wood tipped with fleur-de-lys inside a carved scalloped frame, with an ornate hinge on the centre bar. The thirty-two checkers each carry the star and the lettering too — light on the pale ones, dark on the walnut ones — and come with a dice set and the branded carrying case. This is the handmade backgammon board for the garage with the old W124 in it, the taxi rank's Sunday game, and the driver who has never once considered another badge.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained chestnut brown and varnished
• Motif: the Mercedes-Benz emblem — three-pointed star, laurel sprigs and MERCEDES BENZ lettering in pale wood on a textured ground inside a carved rope-and-bead ring, on a lobed cartouche; carved diamond-lattice lid with rope borders; eternity whirl on the back cover; the emblem again at the centre of each half and on every checker; fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: Classic — the square frame with a moulded rim
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Backgammon board with bronze hinges and clasps
• 32 checkers made from beech and walnut wood, each marked with the Mercedes-Benz star, with velvet bases
• Dice set
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• The star, in wood: the three-pointed star, the laurel sprigs and MERCEDES BENZ in pale wood on a dark textured ground, inside a hand-carved rope ring — the 1926 emblem on a board, from the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop.
• On every checker too: all thirty-two checkers carry the star, and the emblem sits at the heart of each half inside — the badge is there whether the board is open or closed.
• Ready for the table: full-size 23.6″ / 60 cm board, checkers in light and dark wood, a dice set 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 emblem carved? In two ways. The star, the letters and the laurel sprigs are worked into the surface in pale wood against the dark stain, the star's facets drawn in fine line work and the ground given a fine woven texture; nothing is printed. The rope ring, the lobed cartouche, the diamond lattice over the lid, the points inside and the eternity whirl on the back are cut into the beech by hand. 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.

The Star and the Wreath

Gottlieb Daimler once drew a star over the roof of his house on a postcard to his wife and wrote that one day it would shine over his own factory. His sons remembered it, and in 1909 the three-pointed star was registered — land, sea and air, the three places a Daimler engine would run. The laurel wreath came in 1926, when Daimler and Benz merged and the Benz wreath was wrapped round the Daimler star with the two names above and below — the emblem exactly as it sits on this lid. Ask anyone in Yerevan what a proper car is and the answer has three points; the W124 has been on these roads for thirty years and shows no sign of leaving. The workshop carved the badge the way it carves a coat of arms — in a rope ring, on a lobed cartouche, with an eternity whirl on the back, the one thing on this board that is older than the car.

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 fiftieth birthday, a driver's retirement, the mechanic who has kept a W124 alive since the nineties, a dealership's best salesman or the office nardi league, a wooden backgammon set with the Mercedes-Benz star on the lid and on every checker is the backgammon gift set that picks its owner. We send it at Christmas, on Father's Day and for the new-car handover. It gets opened, played and kept.