Palmette Ornament Travel Backgammon Set in Line Work, 30 cm

Palmette Ornament Travel Backgammon Set in Line Work, 30 cm by Hrachya Ohanyan

The pocket one: an eternity whirl with four palmettes drawn in line on a pale disc, in a running-scroll ring, on a lid of dark lattice with rope borders. This is the 30 cm / 11.8″ Armenian wooden travel 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 coat pocket, the café table and the Armenian who wants the sign with them on the road. The disc is bare beech: a whirl at the centre, four palmettes opening from it with a curl between each, and a scroll band closing the ring; around it the whole cartouche is ruled into a fine lattice with dark cells, a rope border runs the rim, and the back carries a whirl in a lattice half-disc at either end.

Open, a walnut-brown field with pale drop-tipped points, a petal wheel drawn on each half and a stamped hinge on the bar; closed, it is the size of a paperback. For the train to Gyumri, the stocking, the desk drawer, and the player who wants the smallest real board in the house.

Specifications

• Size open: 30 × 30 cm / 11.8″ × 11.8″
• Size folded: 30 × 15 cm / 11.8″ × 5.9″
• Material: beech wood, stained walnut brown and varnished, the disc left pale
• Carving: eternity whirl with four palmettes and four curls in line work on a smooth pale disc inside a running-scroll ring; fine dark-celled lattice across a lobed cartouche; rope borders; two eternity whirls in lattice half-discs on the back
• Outline: Classic — a square frame with a moulded rim
• Hardware: cast clasps and stamped metal hinges
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

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

Why You'll Love It

• Pocket size: closed, it is 30 by 15 centimetres — it goes in a coat pocket or a glovebox and comes out with the same layout as the big boards.
• The sign inside the flower: the eternity whirl at the heart of the palmettes makes it an Armenian board at a glance, and the lattice round it means nothing on the lid is plain.
• 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

How does this differ from the full-size palmette board? Same ornament, half the size: the whirl-and-palmette disc is the same line work as on the 60 cm board, but here the cartouche around it is filled with a dark-celled lattice where the big board leaves the wood plain. Nothing is raised on either — the lines are cut into the surface and varnished over, nothing 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.