Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Floral Ornament, Ararat Outline

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Floral Ornament, Ararat Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

A round floral ornament in deep relief sits under the twin peaks of Ararat on this Armenian backgammon set — a boss at the centre, acanthus leaves curling to a rope ring. 23.6″ / 60 cm, beech stained dark chestnut, hand-carved by master Hrachya Ohanyan; checkers, dice and case included.

The peaks along the top edge are textured like snow with the summits left in bare wood, and below them the ornament fills its rope-and-bead ring on a ground punched into a fine star pattern, framed by cusped panels of carved diamond lattice on either side; the back cover carries two eternity whirls in the same cusped frames. Open the cast-bronze clasps and each half shows a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring, points in pale and dark wood tipped with fleur-de-lys, a carved scalloped frame and an ornate bronze hinge on the bar. This is the handmade backgammon board for the study with the leather chair, the wedding-present list, and the uncle who plays long nardi and never explains the rules. Also known as nardi (нарды), nardy, tavla or shesh besh.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained dark chestnut and varnished
• Motif: round floral ornament in deep relief inside a rope-and-bead ring on a punched star ground; cusped lattice panels; two eternity whirls on the back; wheel ornaments 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

• Shaped like Ararat: the outline of the mountain is the board itself, not a picture of it — closed, it stands on its edge with the summits up.
• Carved, not printed: ornament, lattice, peaks and whirls are all cut by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, so the surface changes with every lamp and no two boards are the same.
• 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? Yes. The ornament, the lattice, the peaks and the two eternity whirls on the back are cut into the beech by hand; the ground around the ring is punched point by point. Nothing is printed. The 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.

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 Rosette and the Mountain

Round floral ornaments like this one grow on Armenian church walls and khachkars — a centre boss, leaves turning outward, everything held inside a ring — and the workshop carves them the way the stonemasons did, one leaf at a time. Setting the rosette under Ararat is the workshop's own signature: the country's oldest ornament under its oldest landmark, on a board for a game older than both.

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

Give it when a couple gets their first flat, when a father turns fifty, or when someone in Glendale says they miss the mountain — it arrives with the peaks up and stays for the next thirty years of Sundays.