Eternity Sign Backgammon Set with Contour Outline

Eternity Sign Backgammon Set with Contour Outline by Hrachya Ohanyan

The eternity sign in full relief — its rays sculpted as raised, curling blades round a hollow centre — in a beaded ring on a honeycomb-stippled lid. This is the 60 cm / 23.6″ Armenian wooden backgammon set made by Hrachya Ohanyan, contour outline. Handmade in beech, with 32 wooden checkers, dice and a carrying bag.

This is the board for the Armenian who wants the sign you can feel — the version where the whirl stands up off the lid instead of being drawn on it. Each of the rays is carved as a separate curved blade, high at the rim and dipping to the centre, so the sign catches light on one side of every blade and shadow on the other; a beaded ring closes it, and the whole lid around it is cut into fine honeycomb stipple inside a lobed rope-and-bead cartouche.

Inside, a honey field with pale drop-tipped points, a carved flower ornament on each half and a hinge on the bar; the back carries two smaller whirls in the honeycomb. For the Armenian living room, the new-flat present from the parents, and the player who runs a thumb over the lid before every game.

Specifications

• Size open: 60 × 60 cm / 23.6″ × 23.6″
• Size folded: 60 × 30 cm / 23.6″ × 11.8″
• Material: beech wood, stained honey brown and varnished
• Carving: Armenian eternity sign in full relief, its rays sculpted as raised curved blades round a hollow centre, inside a beaded ring; honeycomb stipple across the lid in a lobed rope-and-bead cartouche; two smaller eternity whirls on the back
• Outline: Contour — scrolled edges with swelling shoulders and curled corners
• 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

• Sculpted, not drawn: the rays stand up as real blades, so the sign has depth you can feel under the hand.
• Contour edges: the scrolled outline with its curled corners gives the board a shape as well as a carving — it looks made, not cut from a plank.
• 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 whirl is carved in full relief into the beech — each blade shaped separately — the honeycomb stipple is cut across the whole lid, and the beaded ring and rope borders are worked into the same cover. 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.