Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set - St. Hripsime Church with Ararat Outline

Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set - St. Hripsime Church with Ararat Outline, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Two of the holiest shapes in Armenia on one board. The Church of St. Hripsime — its drum, its dome, its paving running to the door — is worked in fine line into a pale round panel on the cover, her name in Armenian letters beneath it, inside a carved rope ring on a stippled ground with lattice at the corners. And the board itself is cut in the silhouette of Mount Ararat, its two peaks rising along the top edge. A luxury Armenian backgammon set made from a single piece of wood by National Master Hrachya Ohanyan, at 19.6″ / 50 cm — the size that fits the coffee table and the dining table alike.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and a 19.6″ / 50 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board opens up: a carved wheel ornament at the heart of each half, pale points tipped with small carved flourishes, and the deep grain of the board running through it all. 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 goes to Etchmiadzin every Easter — and plays nardi when they get home.

Specifications

• Size open: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Size folded: 50 × 25 cm / 19.6″ × 9.8″
• Material: beech wood, made from one piece and varnished
• Motif: Church of St. Hripsime worked into a light-wood round panel with her name in Armenian letters, inside a carved rope ring; stippled ground, lattice corners, carved wheel ornaments inside
• Outline: Mount Ararat silhouette — the board's edge follows the mountain's two peaks
• 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

• Church and mountain together: St. Hripsime on the cover, Ararat in the outline — the two things every Armenian abroad misses most, on one board.
• Done by hand: the church is cut into the pale panel line by line, and the rope ring, lattice and stippled ground around it are carved in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop — no two boards come out the same.
• Ready for the table: 19.6″ / 50 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 19.6″ / 50 cm square — one step below the full 60 cm size, and the right choice for a smaller table. Closed, it is 19.6″ × 9.8″ / 50 × 25 cm and stands on its own edge, peaks up.

Is the church printed? No. It is cut into the wood by hand and finished in two tones, and the frame around it is carved — run a finger over the panel and you feel every line.

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.

St. Hripsime

The Church of St. Hripsime was built in 618 in Vagharshapat, a short walk from the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, over the place where the martyr Hripsime died at the very beginning of Armenian Christianity. Fourteen centuries later it still stands almost exactly as it was built — one of the oldest churches in the world in continuous use, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set against the outline of Ararat on a nardi board, it says in wood what the pilgrims say every year: this is where we come from.

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 christening, a wedding in Etchmiadzin or a Hripsime who has just been born, a luxury Armenian backgammon set with her church on the cover and Ararat in the outline is the backgammon gift set with a name already on it. We send it at Christmas, on Father's Day and to Armenians far from home more than anyone. It gets opened, played and passed on.