Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Pomegranate and Grape Knot

Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Pomegranate and Grape Knot, by Hrachya Ohanyan

The harvest, tied in a knot. At the centre of the cover, inside a round frame ringed with rope and beads, master Hrachya Ohanyan carved two plaited bands that cross and loop into a four-armed knot — a ripe pomegranate at the tip of every arm with its crown turned outward, a heavy cluster of grapes hanging in each of the four bays between, and a small carved flower where the bands cross. All of it stands in deep relief on a stippled ground, so the fruit is bright and the shadow behind it is dark. Around the frame runs a field of fine carved lattice between lobed panels edged in rope and beads, inside a wide carved border with stepped rims, and the whole board is stained a warm honey brown. A handmade Armenian backgammon set hand-carved from a single piece of beech at the full 23.6″ / 60 cm — the classic straight board, with the two fruits of Armenia on the lid.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and the 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens on a carved wheel ornament in a scrolled ring at the heart of each half, pale points tipped with fleur-de-lys flourishes and an ornate bronze hinge on the centre bar. 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 the family that makes its own wine, the wedding table where somebody's mother brought the pomegranate, and the kitchen where the grapes hang over the door every October.

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, stained honey brown and varnished
• Motif: a four-armed braided knot with a pomegranate at each tip and a grape cluster in each bay, carved in deep relief on a stippled ground inside a round rope-and-bead frame; carved lattice field, lobed panels with rope-and-bead edges, wide carved border; wheel ornaments and fleur-de-lys points 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 you can feel: every crowned pomegranate and every grape in the clusters is cut and rounded by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, the braid lifted clear of a stippled ground — run a thumb over it and the harvest is there, and no two boards come out the same.
• The knot holds it together: two plaited bands cross and loop into a four-armed knot, the oldest ornament on Armenian stone, and give the fruit its order — structure in the middle, abundance all around it.
• 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 braided knot and the stippled ground beneath them, the lattice, the rope and beaded borders and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed. The honey colour is a stain in the wood under the varnish.

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 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 Vine

Two fruits carry Armenia's whole idea of a good life. The pomegranate is the fruit of weddings and New Year tables — the bride breaks one on the threshold, and the old saying gives it a seed for every day of the year, so a full pomegranate means a full life. The vine is older still: the world's oldest known winery was found in the Areni cave in Vayots Dzor, pressing grapes six thousand years ago, and the Book of Genesis has Noah planting the first vineyard on the slopes of Ararat. Master Ohanyan ties the two together with a braided knot, the interlace that runs along the edges of the khachkars, and carves it deep enough to hold a shadow. On a nardi board it is a wish for the house: may the table always be full.

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, a harvest, a new kitchen or the friend who makes his own wine, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with pomegranates and grapes on the lid is the backgammon gift set that wishes a full table. We send it at Christmas, on 21 September and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.