Gandzasar and We Are Our Mountains Armenian Backgammon Set, Two-Sided

Gandzasar and We Are Our Mountains Armenian Backgammon Set, Two-Sided by Hrachya Ohanyan

Gandzasar's domed monastery on one cover and the We Are Our Mountains monument on the other, each drawn in fine line on a pale oval and captioned in Armenian, on a lid of diamond lattice. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, classic outline, two-sided. Beech, 32 checkers, dice, carrying bag.

This is the board for the Artsakh family abroad, the Sunday table, and the player who wants the two places on one board. Both pictures are drawn, not sculpted: Gandzasar with its conical dome, its gavit and its stone courses, and the grandmother and grandfather of the monument built up block by block, each cut in fine line into an oval of bare beech, with the names Գանձասար and Արցախ on small plaques beneath. Lobed cartouches of diamond lattice frame the ovals, and a running scroll border edges the lid.

Open, the field is stained walnut brown, the points left pale in turn under small drop tips, a petal wheel drawn on each half and stamped brass hinges on the bar. There is no chequerboard here — both faces went to the pictures. For the Artsakh wedding, the diaspora school prize, and the player who wants home on both sides of the board.

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, the two ovals and the pale points left bare
• Carving: Gandzasar monastery on one cover and the We Are Our Mountains monument on the other, each in fine line work on an oval of bare beech with its name in Armenian on a plaque beneath; lobed cartouches of diamond lattice in line work and a running scroll border on both covers; pale drop-tipped points and a petal wheel in line work on each half inside
• Outline: Classic — a square frame with a moulded rim
• Hardware: stamped brass hinges, cast clasps
• Craftsmanship: entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Wooden backgammon board with Gandzasar and the monument in line work, one on each cover
• 32 beech and walnut checkers
• Dice set
• Black carrying bag

Why You'll Love It

• Two landmarks, one board: the monastery on one cover and the monument on the other, so the closed board shows Artsakh whichever way it lies.
• Drawn in the wood, named in Armenian: both scenes are cut in fine line into bare beech ovals with their names in Armenian letters beneath — a picture that holds up close, not a transfer.
• 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

Are the pictures carved or printed? Cut. Both scenes are fine line work cut into ovals of bare beech left unstained inside the walnut-brown lid, with the lattice, the cartouches and the scroll border cut into the surface round them; the petal wheels and points inside are line work too. Varnish goes over everything; nothing is printed or applied.

Which side is the front? Either. Gandzasar is on one cover and the We Are Our Mountains monument on the other; the clasps sit on the bottom edge, so stand it up with whichever picture you want facing the room.

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.