Luxury Acanthus Rosette Walnut Backgammon Set, Two-Sided

Luxury Acanthus Rosette Walnut Backgammon Set, Two-Sided by Hrachya Ohanyan

A rosette of four pointed lobes, each holding a pair of curling acanthus leaves round a star, in deep relief on stipple, the same on both covers. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ luxury wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline, two-sided. Handmade in walnut and hornbeam, 32 checkers, dice from billiard balls and a branded case.

This is the board for the flat with the carved chest, the couple who bought the rug first, and the player who wants ornament on both covers and no picture at all. The rosette is cut back from the ground so the leaves stand up and curl over, each lobe hollowed and veined; C-scrolls fill the gaps between the lobes, acanthus sprays climb the ends, and a small leaf tip marks each corner. The ground between is stippled as fine as leather, and the whole cover is finished in beeswax.

Inside, pale hornbeam points alternate with walnut points in line work under fleur-de-lys tips, the petal wheel on each half sits on a pale inlaid disc in a scrolled ring, and a brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark holds the bar. Turn the board and the rosette is there again. For the anniversary, the study, and the player who wants carving under the hand whichever side is up.

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: a rosette of four pointed lobes filled with paired acanthus leaves round a faceted star, C-scrolls between the lobes, acanthus sprays at either end and leaf tips at the corners, all in deep relief on a stippled ground inside a rope-and-bead border — the same on both covers; pale hornbeam points and petal-wheel discs inlaid inside, walnut points and scroll rings in line work
• Outline: Classic — straight edges and square corners
• Hardware: brass hinge stamped with the maker's mark, cast-bronze clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Hand-carved backgammon board, carved on both covers
• 32 beech and walnut checkers with velvet bases
• Dice set cut from billiard balls
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• Same carving both sides: the rosette, the sprays and the stippled ground are cut on both covers, so there is no back to hide and no wrong way to set it down.
• Beeswax, not gloss: the walnut is finished with natural beeswax, so the relief reads in soft light and the wood feels like wood rather than lacquer.
• 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

Is the ornament Armenian? The maker calls it Armenian ornament — leaf rosettes and acanthus sprays of the kind found in Armenian carved stone and manuscript borders, composed here in his own way rather than copied from one monument. It is carved in deep relief into walnut on both covers, the pale points inside are hornbeam let into the wood, and the surface is finished with natural beeswax. 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.