Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Mount Ararat and Eternity Whirl, Medium

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Mount Ararat and Eternity Whirl, Medium, by Hrachya Ohanyan

An eternity whirl spins at the foot of Mount Ararat on this Armenian backgammon set, beside a stone road that runs up toward the snow. Master Hrachya Ohanyan carves it at the medium size, 19.6″ / 50 cm, in chestnut-stained beech; checkers, dice and case included.

The twin peaks fill a rope-and-bead ring, snow caps in bare wood against a sky punched point by point; the road of carved stones climbs from the corner, sun rays fan across the plain and the whirl — the arevakhach, the Armenian sign of eternity — turns in the foreground, all in deep relief. Cusped panels of carved diamond lattice frame the ring on both sides in the classic square outline, and the back cover carries two more whirls in matching panels. Inside, each half has a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring, points in pale and dark wood tipped with fleur-de-lys, and an ornate bronze hinge. The board for a coffee table rather than a dining table — and for the nephew who has just learned to count the pips. 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 chestnut and varnished
• Motif: Mount Ararat with a stone road, sun rays and an eternity whirl in deep relief inside a rope-and-bead ring, on carved lattice; two eternity whirls on the back; wheel ornaments inside
• Outline: Classic — the square frame with a moulded rim
• 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, road and eternity: three Armenian signs in one ring, cut into the wood by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop — and no two boards the same.
• The size that fits: one step below full size, the medium board lives on a coffee table and still plays a proper game of nardi.
• Make it theirs: add a name or a date at checkout and it becomes a personalized backgammon set.

Good to Know Before You Buy

Is the carving real? Every element you see is cut into the wood: the mountain and its snow, the stones of the road, the rays and the whirl are relief work, the sky behind them is punched dot by dot, and the lattice around the ring is carved line by line. There is no print and no transfer; the brown is a stain 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.

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 Whirl at the Foot of the Mountain

The arevakhach — the sun-cross, the Armenian sign of eternity — turns on church walls, khachkars and the corners of carpets, and it is older than the churches. The workshop set it at the foot of Ararat where a traveller on the road would pass it: the mountain that does not change, and the sign that says nothing ends. On a board it is also the best-placed reminder that a game of nardi is never really over.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine wood craft in 1985 and founded his workshop in Yerevan in 2010. Every board passes through 14 stages of production and 14 pairs of hands before it is finished. Read the story of master Hrachya Ohanyan or explore the full Hrachya Ohanyan backgammon collection.

A Gift That Lasts

Small enough for a student's flat and big enough to matter — for a graduation, a first apartment, or the uncle who has been promising to teach the kids.