Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Etchmiadzin on Stippled Ground, Ararat Outline, Medium

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Etchmiadzin on Stippled Ground, Ararat Outline, Medium, by Hrachya Ohanyan

A hand-carved Armenian backgammon set by master Hrachya Ohanyan in the Mount Ararat outline: 19.6″ / 50 cm open, 19.6″ × 9.8″ / 50 × 25 cm closed, beech wood, the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin carved in deep relief inside a rope ring on a stippled ground, with 32 checkers, a dice set and a carrying case. Handmade in Armenia.

The peaks of Ararat rise along the top edge of this board in carved relief, summits left in bare wood, and below them the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin stands in deep relief inside a rope-and-bead ring — bell tower in front, dome on its arcaded drum behind, corner belfries, the long stone wall, the paved courtyard — with a small plaque reading ԷՋՄԻԱԾԻՆ beneath the walls. Master Hrachya Ohanyan surrounds the ring with a ground punched point by point into a fine star texture, frames it in cusped panels and rope borders, and stains the whole board a warm chestnut. A handmade Armenian backgammon set, hand-carved at 19.6″ / 50 cm — the medium size.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens on a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, points in pale and dark wood tipped with fleur-de-lys, a carved scalloped frame round the field and an ornate hinge on the centre bar; on the back cover two eternity whirls spin in cusped panels. 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 coffee table by the window, the study with the icon in the corner, and the friend abroad who keeps a photo of the mountain on the fridge. Also known as nardi (нарды), nardy, tavla or shesh besh.

Specifications

• Size open: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Size folded: 50 × 25 cm / 19.6″ × 9.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained warm chestnut and varnished
• Motif: the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin — bell tower, dome, corner belfries, stone wall and paved courtyard — carved in deep relief inside a rope-and-bead ring, with a name plaque in Armenian letters; punched star-textured ground with cusped panels; the peaks of Ararat carved along the top edge; two eternity whirls on the back cover; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: Mount Ararat — the twin peaks carved in relief along the top, with scrolled sides
• 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

• Mountain and cathedral, both carved: the peaks of Ararat are the shape of the lid itself, and the Cathedral sits below them in deep relief — the two things every Armenian looks for, on one board from the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop.
• The stippled ground: thousands of punched points around the ring instead of a lattice, so the scene stands out from a quieter field — this is the textured-ground version of our Etchmiadzin Ararat board.
• The size that fits: 19.6″ / 50 cm, one step below full size — right for a coffee table and still a proper game — with checkers in light and dark wood, a dice set and a carrying case.

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, peaks up.

Is the carving real? Yes — the cathedral, its towers, the stone walls and the courtyard are cut into the beech by hand in deep relief; the ground around the ring is punched point by point, and the peaks along the top are gouged in rough strokes with the summits left in bare wood. The only thing not carved is the small name plaque set below the walls. Nothing is printed; the colour is a stain in the wood under the varnish.

Is 50 cm big enough? For most tables, yes. 19.6″ / 50 cm is the medium size — the checkers and points are a touch smaller than on the full 23.6″ / 60 cm board, and it stores more easily. If it will live on a large dining table, take one of our 60 cm Etchmiadzin boards instead.

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 View from Vagharshapat

The town that holds the Mother See is Vagharshapat, on the Ararat plain, and on a clear morning the mountain stands over its south wall as if it had been placed there for the cathedral's benefit. The town took the cathedral's name for fifty years — it was officially Etchmiadzin from 1945 to 1995 — and then took its old name back; the mountain never changed at all. The workshop carved the two the way they sit in every Armenian's head: the peaks as the board's own outline, the cathedral below them, and the name on a small plaque so that nobody has to ask. Close the board and it stands on its edge with the summits up — the view from the courtyard, 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 priest's name day, a house-blessing, parents who married at Etchmiadzin, or a daughter's first flat abroad, an Armenian backgammon set with the Cathedral under the peaks of Ararat is the backgammon gift set that carries both things home at once. We send it at Christmas, at Easter and on 21 September. It gets opened, played and passed on.