Snowflake Travel Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline

Snowflake Travel Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

A snowflake of pale wood on a dark ground, eight-fold and lace-fine, under the two carved peaks of Ararat. This 40 cm / 15.7″ travel-size Armenian wooden backgammon set is made by Hrachya Ohanyan. Handmade in beech, with 32 wooden checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded carrying bag.

This is the board for someone who wants a lighter touch. Instead of deep relief, the snowflake is flat and pale — an eight-petal flower at the heart, then ring after ring of curled scrolls and leaf tips, all left the colour of the wood itself against a ground stained almost black. The peaks above it are carved with pale streaks like snow, and the rest of the lid is fine diamond lattice with cusped panels and a rope border.

Inside, the points are pale and dark with fleur-de-lys tips, a wheel ornament sits in a scrolled ring on each half, and the hinge on the bar is bronze. Folded, it slips into a weekend bag. For winter birthdays, the mountain cabin, and the Armenian abroad who wants Ararat on the table wherever the table happens to be.

Specifications

• Size open: 40 × 40 cm / 15.7″ × 15.7″
• Size folded: 40 × 20 cm / 15.7″ × 7.9″
• Material: beech wood, stained dark chestnut and varnished, the snowflake left pale
• Carving: eight-fold snowflake — an eight-petal flower with rings of curled scrolls — in low relief, pale against the dark ground, in a rope-and-bead ring; the two peaks of Ararat along the top edge; diamond lattice with cusped panels; eternity whirls on the back
• Outline: Ararat — the top edge rises into the twin peaks of Mount Ararat
• 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 bag

Why You'll Love It

• Light on dark: the pale snowflake against the near-black ground reads from across the room — the highest-contrast lid in the travel range.
• Ararat, one-handed: the same carved peaks as the full-size boards, on a board you can carry to the café in one hand.
• 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 snowflake is cut in low relief — the ground around it lowered and stained dark, the pattern left pale and standing proud — and the peaks, the lattice and the rope ring are carved into the same beech. Nothing is printed.

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 bag.

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.