Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Pomegranate and Grapes

Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Pomegranate and Grapes, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Pomegranates and clusters of grapes, carved in high relief and laced together with a braid, fill a circle at the heart of this board's cover. A twisted rope ring frames them, an arched panel frames the ring, and a fine carved lattice covers everything around it. This is a luxury Armenian backgammon set in the truest sense — the two fruits Armenians have cut into stone and pressed into wine for thousands of years, hand-carved into a single piece of wood by National Master Hrachya Ohanyan. Set it on the table and your guests will run a thumb over the pomegranates before anyone reaches for the dice.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and you have a full 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board: a carved wheel ornament at the centre of each half, points in pale wood tipped with small carved flourishes, and the deep grain of the board around them. 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 long evenings — the one your children will still be arguing over, happily, long after tonight.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, carved from one piece and varnished
• Motif: pomegranates and grapes with a braid ornament on the cover, lattice ground, carved wheel ornaments inside
• Outline: classic, with carved stepped 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

• Fruit carved by hand: every pomegranate, grape and braid ribbon is cut into the wood in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop and then varnished — no two boards come out the same.
• Armenian to the core: pomegranate and grapes are the oldest symbols of abundance in Armenian art — this is the board to give to someone who carries the country with them.
• 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 carving real? Yes. The pomegranates, the grapes, the braid and the lattice are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed — run a finger across the cover and you feel every seed.

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 wedding 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.

Pomegranate and Grapes in Armenian Hands

Ask an Armenian what the pomegranate means and you will get a different answer at every table — luck, fertility, a whole nation held together under one skin. It is carved on the walls of medieval churches and painted into the margins of manuscripts. Grapes are the other half of the story: Armenia has been making wine for more than six thousand years, and the vine climbs beside the pomegranate on khachkars and church doorways. Braided together on a nardi board, they turn the game played at every Armenian table into something you would hang on a wall — except this one you open and play.

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, an anniversary or a new home, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with pomegranates on the cover is the backgammon gift set that says abundance without a card. We send it at Christmas and on Father's Day, and very often to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.