Pomegranate and Grapes Backgammon Set with Classic Outline

Pomegranate and Grapes Backgammon Set with Classic Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

A braided cross on a square lid, plaits pale over a dark ground, a faceted pomegranate or a bunch of grapes in each gap. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline. Handmade in beech, with 32 wooden checkers, dice cut from billiard balls and a branded carrying case.

This is the board for the family that wants the fruit and nothing to argue about. The raised strands of the cross stay pale and the ground between them goes dark, so the plaits read from across the room; the pomegranates are cut in flat facets that catch the light like stones; the grapes are carved berry by berry. A scalloped leaf border and a rope ring close it. Beyond, the lid is honeycomb stippling in cusped panels, diamond lattice, rope borders and a square, moulded rim.

The back carries an eternity whirl in each cusped panel; inside there is nothing but the game — pale and dark points with fleur-de-lys tips, a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring on each half, an ornate bronze hinge on the bar. For the first backgammon set in a new Armenian home, the birthday of the man who taught you, and the friend who keeps asking where you got yours.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained honey chestnut and varnished
• Carving: braided cross with a faceted star centre, four faceted pomegranates and four grape clusters in relief between the plaited arms, in a scalloped leaf border and rope-and-bead ring on a stippled ground; cusped panels of honeycomb stippling and diamond lattice; rope borders; eternity whirls on the back
• Outline: Classic — a square frame with a moulded rim
• 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

• Light and dark in the carving: the raised plaits stay pale and the cut ground goes dark, so the pattern shows from a distance with no paint or inlay.
• Faceted fruit: the pomegranates are cut in flat planes rather than rounded, so they flash as the board is turned in the light.
• 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 cross, the fruit and the leaf border are carved in relief into the beech, the ground round them is stippled, and the honeycomb and lattice panels are cut into the same lid. 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.