Lewis Chessmen, update on a famous treasure.
(Above image represents a capture of part of the collection held by the British Museum in London.) This evening, I am providing an update on a famous-and unique-set of chessmen which were probably made in Norway in the late 13th century and which were found on a remote beach on Scotland’s Outer Hebrides before April 11th 1831 and thereafter found their way to the British Museum in London. Display of chess pieces at British Museum Summary information as follows: Collection comprises ninety-three pieces plus fourteen ‘tablemen’, gaming pieces and a buckle. Together with missing pieces the collection would have been enough to make four complete chess sets ( 4 X 32). It is possible this was the stock of a trader which had been hidden for security. The pieces were elaborately carved from worked walrus ivory and whale teeth sometime between 1150 and 1200 AD in Trondheim, Norway. During this period the West of what is now Scotland was part of Norway. Actual locatio...