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The chessmen are believed to have been made in Norway, perhaps by craftsmen in Trondheim, sometime during the 12th century. During that period the Hebrides, along with other major groups of Scottish islands, were ruled by Norway. Some historians believe that the Lewis chessmen were hidden (or lost) after some mishap occurred during their transportation from Norway to wealthy Norse settlements on the east coast of Ireland.
Almost all of the pieces in the collection are carved from walrus ivory, with a few made instead from whale teeth. The cache consists of 8 Kings, 8 Queens, 16 Bishops, 15 Knights, 12 Rooks, and 19 Pawns. All the pieces are sculptures of human figures, except the pawns (which are smaller, simple sculptures resembling carved gravestones). The knights are shown mounted (on rather diminutive horses) holding spears and shields, and all of the human figures have decidedly glum expressions (other than one rook, which is shown as a berserker, wild-eyed and biting his shield with battle fury).
The chessmen were discovered in 1831 in a sand bank at the head of the Bay of Uig on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, one of the Outer Hebrides. No contemporary account describing their discovery exists, but it is reported that they were found in a small chamber of dry-built stone about 15 feet below the top of the sand bank.
They were exhibited by Roderick Ririe at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries of ScotlandThe Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is an archaeological learned society formed for the purpose of studying the history of Scotland. The Society was established in 1780, incorporated in 1783 and has an international membership of around 3500 Fellows an, on April 11April 11 is the 101st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (102nd in leap years). There are 264 days remaining. Events 1241 Batu Khan defeats Bela IV of Hungary at the Battle of Muhi 1512 Battle of Ravenna 1713 War of the Spanish Succession ( Queen A, 1831. The chessmen were soon after split up, with 10 being purchased by Kirkpatrick Sharpe and the others (67 chessmen and 14 tablemen) were purchased on behalf of the British MuseumThe British Museum is one of the world's greatest and most famous museums. It was established in 1753 by Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and scientist who collected lots of literature and art, on its present site at Montague House in London, United Kingdom,.
Kirkpatrick Sharpe later found another Lewis chessman to take his collection up to eleven, all of which were later sold to Lord Londesborough . In 1888 they were again sold, but this time the purchaser was the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, who donated the pieces to the Scottish National Museum , EdinburghArthur's Seat. See also for a panoramic view from Holyrood Park towards Ocean Terminal. Edinburgh (pronounced ED-in-burra ( SAMPA: ["Ed@n%b@r@])), Dun Eideann in Scottish Gaelic, is a major and historic city on the east coast of Scotland on the south shor.
The pieces donated to the British Museum are still located there, and can be found in Room 42 with the exhibition code M&ME 1831,11-1.
The distinctive style of the Lewis cache inspired the animated series Noggin the NogNoggin the Nog was a popular British children's television series originally shown by the BBC during the years 1959 to 1965. Thirty programmes were made, originally in black and white, by a company called Smallfilms, the brainchild of Oliver Postgate and.
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