Pomegranate Backgammon Set with Blue Epoxy

Pomegranate Backgammon Set with Blue Epoxy by Hrachya Ohanyan

Two pomegranates carved in deep relief — one whole, one split open to a bed of red seeds — on a disc of sky-blue epoxy. 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 Armenian kitchen that already has the fruit bowl and the earrings — and wants the board to match. The two fruits sit on a spray of leaves and grass, carved in full depth: the whole one with its ridged crown, the split one hollowed out and its seeds picked out in red. Behind them the disc is filled with pearly sky-blue resin, flush with the ring, so the carving floats on colour. Round it, honeycomb-stippled cusped panels, diamond lattice and rope borders.

Open, it goes quiet: honey field, pale points with small fleur-de-lys tips, a scrolled wheel on either half, an ornate bronze hinge; the back cover carries eternity whirls that stand up in full relief. For the wedding gift, the new Armenian home, and the player who wants a board that reads as colour from across the room.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained honey brown and varnished, with a sky-blue epoxy resin disc
• Carving: two pomegranates — one whole, one split to its red seeds — with leaves and grass, in deep relief on a sky-blue epoxy disc inside a rope-and-bead ring; honeycomb-stippled cusped panels; diamond lattice; rope borders; eternity whirls in full relief 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

• Carving on colour: the fruit is real relief and the blue is real resin, so the pomegranates stand out from the disc instead of being drawn on it.
• Whirls that stand up: the eternity signs on the back are carved in full relief, so even the closed board's second face has depth.
• 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 fruit carved or painted? Carved. The two pomegranates, their leaves and the grass beneath are cut in deep relief into the beech; only the seeds are picked out in red, and the blue disc behind is epoxy resin poured into the carved ground and finished flush. The ring, honeycomb panels and lattice are carved into the same lid; 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.