Luxury Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Scorpio

Luxury Wooden Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Scorpio, by Hrachya Ohanyan

If there is a Scorpio in your life, this is their board. A scorpion crouches in the centre of the cover, claws raised and tail curled to strike, carved in such high relief that it throws its own shadow across the stippled ground beneath it. A beaded ring frames it, two arched panels of carved basket-weave flank it, and a fine lattice fills the corners — every strand and every segment of the tail cut by hand. It is a luxury wooden backgammon set for someone who plays to win, made by National Master Hrachya Ohanyan from a single piece of wood.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and a full 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board is inside: a carved wheel ornament at the heart of each half and pale points tipped with small carved flourishes, all worked from the same block. 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 friend who never lets a game go — and for the birthday that falls between late October and November.

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: scorpion in high relief in a beaded round frame, basket-weave arches, lattice corners, carved wheel ornaments inside
• Outline: classic, with carved stepped edges
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Entirely handmade 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

• A scorpion carved by hand: the claws, the segmented tail and the sting stand off the cover in real relief — cut in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, and no two boards come out the same.
• Three textures on one cover: stippled ground under the scorpion, basket-weave in the arches, lattice in the corners — the kind of detail you keep finding weeks later.
• 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 scorpion, the weave and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed — run a fingertip along the tail and you feel every segment.

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 and a birth date turn 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.

The Scorpion

Scorpio is the sign of late October and November — the water sign people describe as intense, loyal and impossible to bluff, which makes it the perfect sign for a dice game. The scorpion itself has meant the same thing across the old world for thousands of years: patience, then a decisive strike. Carved on a nardi board, it is a quiet warning to whoever sits down opposite, and a very good reason to play the next round.

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.

The Scorpio Gift

A hand-carved wooden backgammon set with their own sign on the cover is the birthday gift a Scorpio does not see coming — and the backgammon gift set we send for milestone birthdays, for Christmas and on Father's Day to the competitive one in the family. Their sign, a master's carving and a game they will win more often than you would like: it gets opened, played and passed on.