Star Flower Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline

Star Flower Backgammon Set with Ararat Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

Two peaks rise from the top edge — Ararat, carved into the board itself. Below them, an eight-pointed star flower in a ring of leaf scrolls. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ Armenian 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 an Armenian home, or for anyone who wants the mountain on the shelf. The peaks are not a picture: the top edge of the board rises into them, the great peak and the small one, their slopes worked into pale streaks like snow on rock. Under them the flower opens — eight sharp petals, each with a raised spine, and leaf scrolls curling back on themselves inside a rope-and-bead ring.

Inside, pale and dark points tipped with fleur-de-lys run up to a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring on each half, with an ornate bronze hinge on the bar. For the family that plays nardi on Sundays, the flat far from home that wants a piece of it, and the gift that says Armenia without a word.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained a light chestnut and varnished
• Carving: eight-pointed star flower with leaf scrolls in a rope-and-bead ring on carved lattice; the two peaks of Ararat along the top edge; 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 case

Why You'll Love It

• The mountain, in the wood: Ararat is the shape of the board, not a picture on it — closed on a shelf, the peaks are the first thing anyone sees.
• Petals you can trace: each of the eight petals stands off the ground with a raised spine, deep enough to follow with a fingertip.
• 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 peaks are carved along the top edge of the board, the flower and its leaf scrolls stand in relief inside the ring, and the lattice around them is cut into the beech. The stain and varnish go on afterwards; 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.