Charging Bull Backgammon Set with Classic Outline

Charging Bull Backgammon Set with Classic Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

A bull charging — head down, horns forward, front hooves off the ground — carved in relief on a smooth disc in a beaded ring, leaf scrolls either side. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline. Handmade in beech, with 32 wooden checkers, dice and a carrying bag.

This is the board for the trader, the Taurus and the player who keeps a small bronze bull on the desk. The animal is carved in relief sitting back on its hind legs with the forelegs kicked up, hide streaked in short strokes, a ground line hatched beneath it, on a disc left smooth inside the beaded ring; either side, acanthus scrolls are cut in full depth over a honeycomb-stippled field, curling out to the corners under a walnut-brown stain. The back carries the same scrolls.

Inside it is plain and dark: drop-tipped pale points, a flower ornament carved on each half, a hinge on the bar. For the office with the market screen, the ranch house, and the player who wants an animal on the table without paying for deep relief.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained walnut brown and varnished
• Carving: charging bull in relief on a smooth disc with a hatched ground line, inside a beaded ring; acanthus leaf scrolls in deep relief either side on a honeycomb-stippled field; rope borders; leaf scrolls on the back
• Outline: Classic — a square frame with a moulded rim
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Hand-carved backgammon board
• 32 beech and walnut checkers
• Dice set
• Black carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• Mid-charge: the bull is carved with its front hooves off the ground, so the disc reads as motion rather than a portrait.
• Scrolls in full depth: the leaf scrolls either side are the deep carving on this board — curls standing clear of a stippled ground — with the same on the back.
• 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 bull is carved in relief into the beech on its smooth disc, the ground beneath it is hatched, and the leaf scrolls either side are cut in full depth over a honeycomb-stippled field. Stain and varnish come last; nothing is printed, cast 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 bag.

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.