The Lewis Chessmen

by James Robinson

These enchanting chess pieces consist of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales' teeth in the form of seated kings and queens, mitred bishops, knights on their mounts, standing warders and pawns in the shape of obelisks. They were found in the vicinity of Uig on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, in mysterious circumstances some time before 11th April 1831. Various stories have evolved to explain why they were concealed there, and how they were discovered. This book takes a lively look at the many theories surrounding the ownership of the pieces, why they were hidden and how exactly they were discovered, and places them in the wider context of the ancient game of chess and secular culture of the Middle Ages.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Art, Archaeology, Scotland, Chess

64 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2004

About the author

James Robinson is Curator of the Medieval Gallery at the British Museum. He was also the curator of the Exhibition "Treasures of Heaven" in 2011.