Pomegranate and Grapes Backgammon Set with Scrolled Ararat Outline

Pomegranate and Grapes Backgammon Set with Scrolled Ararat Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

The twin peaks of Ararat above, a scrolled body with curled corners below, and between them a braided cross of pomegranates and grapes on a honeycomb ground. 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 the Armenian who wants the mountain and the fruit, and a frame with some swagger to it. The peaks are carved with their snow; the edge beneath them swells at the shoulders and curls in at the feet, a stepped moulding the whole way round. In the ring, four plaited arms leave a faceted star, a smooth crowned pomegranate and a cluster of berries filling the gaps in turn, inside a scalloped leaf border and a rope ring. Cusped honeycomb and lattice panels either side.

Two more eternity whirls sit in round bowls on the back. Inside, the game is left plain — 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 — so the lid does the talking. For the wedding, the housewarming, and the relative who already has the square one.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained chestnut and varnished
• Carving: braided cross with a faceted star centre, four pomegranates and four grape clusters in relief between the plaited arms, in a scalloped leaf border and rope ring on a stippled ground; the two snow-streaked peaks of Ararat along the top edge; cusped panels of honeycomb stippling and diamond lattice; stepped moulded rim; eternity whirls in round bowls on the back
• Outline: Ararat — the twin peaks of Mount Ararat along the top edge, over a scrolled body with curled corners
• 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

• Mountain and scroll: the peaks on top and the curled corners below — there is hardly a straight line on the outline, and the moulded rim follows every curve.
• Fruit you can name: smooth pomegranates with their crowns, grapes carved berry by berry, plaits cut over and under — every part reads as what it is.
• 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 shaped along the top edge and the scroll is cut from the board itself; the cross, the fruit and the leaf border are carved in relief into the beech, and the honeycomb and lattice are cut into the same surface. 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.