Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Tigran the Great

Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Tigran the Great, by Hrachya Ohanyan

King Tigran the Great looks out from the cover of this board in profile, crowned with the pointed Armenian tiara, his hair and cloak carved in relief inside a round rope-ringed frame. Around him the whole cover is worked by hand — a fine carved lattice, arched panels, a stippled ground — and the board itself is cut in the silhouette of Mount Ararat, its two peaks rising along the top edge. It is a luxury Armenian backgammon set that carries the two things Armenians hold highest, the king and the mountain, hand-carved from a single piece of wood by National Master Hrachya Ohanyan. Put it on the table and the conversation starts before the first roll.

Open the cast-bronze clasps and a full 23.6″ / 60 cm hand-carved wooden backgammon board is inside: a carved wheel ornament at the centre of each half and pale points tipped with small carved flourishes, all cut 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 head of the family — the one that gets pulled out when the whole house is home.

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: King Tigran the Great in profile on the cover, lattice ground, 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

• A king carved by hand: the tiara, the face and the folds of the cloak stand off the cover in real relief — cut in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, and no two boards come out the same.
• The Ararat outline: this board is not a rectangle — its edge is cut in the shape of Mount Ararat, the workshop's signature silhouette, so it reads as Armenian from across the room.
• 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, peaks up.

Is the carving real? Yes. The portrait, the lattice and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed — run a finger over the crown and you feel every point.

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.

Tigran the Great

Tigran II ruled Armenia from 95 to 55 BC, and for a few decades the kingdom reached from the Caspian to the Mediterranean — "from sea to sea", as every Armenian schoolchild learns. He built a new capital, Tigranakert, took the title King of Kings, and is remembered to this day as the symbol of victory, power and strength. Carved beside Mount Ararat on a nardi board — the game Armenians have played through all the centuries since — he is the right face for a set meant to be handed down.

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 father, a grandfather, a graduation or a new home, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with Tigran the Great on the cover is the backgammon gift set that says strength and roots at once. We send it at Christmas and on Father's Day, and to Armenians far from home more than anyone. It gets opened, played and passed on.