Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Vardan Mamikonyan

Luxury Armenian Backgammon Set Hand Carved - Vardan Mamikonyan, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Vardan Mamikonyan looks out from the cover of this board in profile — the plumed helmet, the beard, the cloak over his shoulder and his hand resting on the hilt of his sword — carved in relief inside a round rope-ringed frame on a stippled ground. Around him master Hrachya Ohanyan cut a fine carved lattice and a rope border, and shaped the board in the curved, stepped contour outline that is the workshop's signature. A luxury Armenian backgammon set with the country's greatest commander on the lid, hand-carved from a single piece of wood.

Undo the cast-bronze clasps and a full 23.6″ / 60 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 a house where the men are named Vardan and the nardi games are never friendly — and the board that settles them.

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: Vardan Mamikonyan in profile, carved in relief inside a round rope-ringed frame; stippled ground, lattice, rope border, carved wheel ornaments inside
• Outline: signature contour silhouette 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

• A commander carved by hand: the helmet, the beard, the folds of the cloak and the sword hilt all stand off the cover in real relief — cut in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop, and no two boards come out the same.
• The contour outline: the curved, stepped silhouette means you recognise one of these boards from across the room, closed or open.
• 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 portrait, the rope ring, the lattice and the wheel ornaments inside are all cut into the wood by hand, not printed or pressed — run a finger over the helmet and you feel every ridge.

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.

Vardan Mamikonyan

In 451, on the plain of Avarayr, Vardan Mamikonyan led the Armenian army against a Persian force many times its size to defend the right to remain Christian. He fell on the field, and the battle was lost — but the war of attrition that followed won Armenia its faith, and the Church made him a saint. Every February Armenians keep Vardanants in his memory, and every Vardan is named after him. Carved on a nardi board, he is the reminder that the game, like the battle, is won by the one who does not give up.

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 Vardan's name day, a graduation, a soldier coming home or the father who taught you to play, a hand-carved Armenian backgammon set with the commander on the cover is the backgammon gift set that says courage without a word. We send it at Christmas, on Father's Day and to Armenians far from home. It gets opened, played and passed on.