Armenian Backgammon Set - Braid Ornament in Two Tones, Classic Outline

Armenian Backgammon Set - Braid Ornament in Two Tones, Classic Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

One knot, no beginning and no end. At the centre of this board a braid ornament in pale wood — eight loops of interlace that pass over and under each other and come back to where they started — sits on a dark stippled ground inside a round rope ring, the way the same knot sits at the heart of a thousand khachkars and manuscript margins. Master Hrachya Ohanyan set the ring inside a lobed cartouche on a field of carved diamond lattice with a beaded border, kept the outline classic and square, and stained the beech a smoky grey-brown under clear varnish so the pale knot reads from across the room. A handmade Armenian backgammon set from a single piece of wood at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 23.6″ / 60 cm wooden backgammon board opens on a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, pale and dark points tipped with fleur-de-lys, a carved scalloped frame round the field and an ornate hinge on the centre bar. 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 flat with the khachkar on the wall, the office of someone who likes geometry, and the couple who want a board without a picture on it.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, made from one piece, stained smoky grey-brown and varnished
• Motif: an Armenian braid ornament — eight interlaced loops in one endless knot — worked in pale wood on a dark stippled ground inside a round rope ring (two-tone); lobed cartouche on a carved diamond lattice field with beaded border; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points inside
• Outline: classic, with carved moulded edges
• 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

• The endless knot: eight loops that pass over and under and never end — the interlace of the khachkars and the manuscripts, worked in pale wood on dark so it reads like a seal, in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop.
• Two tones, one piece of wood: the pale knot and the dark ground are the same board — no inlay to lift, no print to fade — with the lattice and the cartouche carved round it by hand.
• Ready for the table: full-size 23.6″ / 60 cm board, checkers in light and dark wood, dice and a carrying case — open it and play.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How big is it? Open, the board is 23.6″ / 60 cm square — the standard full size for a living-room table. Closed, it is 23.6″ × 11.8″ / 60 × 30 cm and stands on its own edge.

Is the ornament printed? No. The braid is pale beech worked into the dark stippled ground and sealed under the varnish — it will not peel or fade. The rope ring, the lobed cartouche, the diamond lattice, the beaded border and the scalloped frame inside are cut into the wood by hand. The grey-brown colour is a stain in the wood 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.

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 Knot Without an End

Armenian stone-carvers have been cutting this knot since the ninth century — on the khachkars in every village churchyard, in the margins of the Gospel books of Cilicia, round the doorways of Sanahin and Haghpat. An interlace with no loose end is a small argument about eternity: whatever strand you follow, you come back to where you began. It is the same idea as the eternity sign, drawn with a longer line. The Hrachya Ohanyan workshop puts it on the lid of a nardi board where it belongs — in the middle of a game that families have been passing down for as long as the carvers have been cutting knots.

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 wedding, a silver anniversary, a friend who works in design or the father who likes his boards without pictures, an Armenian backgammon set with the endless knot on the lid is the backgammon gift set that says something without saying it. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.