Luxury Etchmiadzin Cathedral Walnut Backgammon Set with Hornbeam Inlay

Luxury Etchmiadzin Cathedral Walnut Backgammon Set with Hornbeam Inlay by Hrachya Ohanyan

The Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin in relief on smooth walnut — belfry, drum and pointed dome, block walls, a tree either side — in a lobed cartouche. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ luxury Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline. Handmade in walnut and hornbeam, 32 checkers, dice from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the church committee's gift, the godfather, and the player who wants the cathedral outside and pale inlay under the checkers. The building sits on a panel left smooth so nothing competes with it: the belfry with its rotunda in front, the main drum and pointed dome behind, the side dome, courses of block wall, an arched door, and either side a tree cut as a mass of tiny leaves. Diamond lattice fills the fields to the corners; the board is finished in beeswax, not gloss.

Inside, the points alternate pale hornbeam let into the walnut with walnut points in line work, all under a row of little arches and tipped with fleur-de-lys, and a petal wheel in a scrolled ring sits on each half. For the ordination, the Armenian school's leaving gift, and the player who wants the Mother See on the table and hornbeam under the hand.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: walnut wood, natural colour, finished with natural beeswax; hornbeam inlay inside
• Carving: Etchmiadzin Cathedral — belfry with rotunda, main drum and pointed dome, side dome, block walls, arched door and a stippled tree either side — in relief on a smooth panel inside an eight-lobed cartouche with a rope-and-bead ring; chip-carved diamond lattice on the outer fields; rope-and-bead borders; pale hornbeam points let into the walnut inside, walnut points and petal wheels in scrolled rings in line work
• Outline: Classic — straight edges and square corners
• 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

• Smooth panel, sharp building: the cathedral stands on plain walnut inside the lattice, so every course of stone and every window reads without a stipple behind it.
• Hornbeam, not paint: the pale points are a second wood let into the walnut and finished with beeswax, so the contrast is in the timber itself.
• 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

How does this differ from the other Etchmiadzin walnut board? Same cathedral, cut the same way on a smooth panel, but here every other point inside is pale hornbeam let into the walnut, and the whole board is finished with natural beeswax instead of varnish, so it has a soft sheen rather than a gloss. The carving is in the walnut's own colour; nothing is printed or applied.

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.