Eternity Sign Backgammon Set with Diamond Lattice

Eternity Sign Backgammon Set with Diamond Lattice by Hrachya Ohanyan

A tight whirl of curved blades — the eternity sign drawn in line on a smooth disc — ringed with running scroll, on a lid of diamond lattice. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ Armenian 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 nardi table of the Armenian diaspora — the full 60 cm, the sign on the lid, at an everyday price. The whirl is drawn rather than raised: curved blades packed tight round a small centre, cut as clean lines into a smooth disc, so the sign catches light, not shadow; a running-scroll ring closes the disc, the lobed cartouche around it is ruled into a diamond lattice with a dot at every crossing, and the same scroll runs round the rim. Amber stain throughout.

Inside, pale drop-tipped points on an amber field, a petal wheel cut into each half and a brass hinge on the bar; the back cover carries a smaller whirl in a lobed lattice frame at each end. For the Armenian wedding list, the new flat in Glendale, and the club that wants a board it can carry.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained amber and varnished
• Carving: Armenian eternity sign as a tight whirl of curved blades in line work on a smooth disc inside a running-scroll ring; diamond lattice dotted at the crossings across a lobed cartouche; running-scroll borders; two smaller whirls in lobed lattice frames 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

• Wooden backgammon board with the sign in line work
• 32 beech and walnut checkers
• Dice set
• Black carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• Light, not shadow: the blades are cut as lines into a smooth disc rather than raised, so the whirl reads in the sheen of the varnish and stays flat under the hand.
• Lattice to the lobes: the diamond lattice fills the whole cartouche, dotted at every crossing, and the running scroll edges both the cartouche and the rim.
• 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 whirl carved in relief? No — it is drawn: the curved blades are cut as fine lines into a smooth disc, and the lattice and scroll borders are line work too, with a dot cut at each crossing. The petal wheels and drop tips inside are cut the same way. Everything is varnished over; nothing is printed 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.