Knotwork Backgammon Set with Arch Outline

Knotwork Backgammon Set with Arch Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

Bands weave over and under into one round knot inside a twisted rope ring. The top edge of the board curves in a gentle arch. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan. Handmade in beech, with 32 wooden checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded carrying case.

This is the board for someone who likes to lose their eye in a pattern. Follow one band and it dives under the next, comes up two crossings later and curls out into a leaf tip at the edge; at the very centre a small eternity whirl turns. The rope ring around it is carved as a real twist, and the lid beyond is fine diamond lattice with cusped panels. The arched top gives the closed board a soft shoulder line instead of a corner.

Open it and the pattern gives way to play: pale points and dark points with fleur-de-lys tips, a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring on each half, bronze hinges on the bar. Two more eternity whirls sit in the lattice of the back cover. Made for the player who wants something to study between turns, on a board that stands out on a shelf without shouting.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained chestnut and varnished
• Carving: round knotwork of interlaced bands with leaf tips and an eternity whirl at the centre, in relief inside a twisted-rope ring on a punched ground; carved lattice with cusped panels; eternity whirls on the back
• Outline: Arch — a curved top edge over straight sides
• 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

• Follow the band: the knot is carved so every strand really passes under and over the next — it rewards a long look.
• The arch: a curved top edge that softens the whole silhouette — closed on a shelf it reads like a small doorway.
• 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 carving real? Yes. The knot, its leaf tips and the little whirl are carved into the beech in relief; the rope ring is cut as a real twist, the ground is textured, and the lattice is worked into the same surface. The arch is the shape of the board itself. Stain and varnish come last; 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.